


Demons'll Charm You

by MissKaityScarlett



Category: Sweeney Todd (2007)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-04-25 13:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 37,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14379804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissKaityScarlett/pseuds/MissKaityScarlett
Summary: Haunted by that ill-fated night, Toby is finally being released from the madhouse, ten years later, and returns to Fleet Street for a new life. Toby soon finds success, as well as love; but as time passes, his haunting memories torment him once again. He starts to become the man he hated and a returning madness puts those he cares for in danger.





	1. Return To Fleet Street

" _Nothing's gonna harm you… Not while I'm around…" The ethereal voice filled the darkness as a lone figure, a young man, stood in silence, lost and without direction. He turned to his left, then to his right, before beginning his walk through the darkness. The dismembered voice had silenced and all that remained was an echo of something dripping. Drip… Drip… Drip… The man continued his walk until the dripping became more apparent and a faint light could be seen. He then realized that he appeared to be in a tunnel; a humid tunnel that was home to creatures who thrived in the darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he discovered the faint light was in actuality a flame from a distant oven._ _A pungent smell filled his nostrils as he approached warily. He faced the oven with great curiosity and as he reached for the handle to open it, he remembered the constant drip. Drip… Drip… Drip... The hairs on the back of his neck stood as he slowly turned his head, facing the source of the faithful sound. Someone was suddenly kneeling on the ground before him and looked up slowly. It was the face of a terror. The face of the Devil, himself._

"Toby!"

Tobias Ragg sat straight up in his bed, breathing heavily and looking around at his surroundings. Gone was the darkness, the oven, and that face that had haunted him all those years. What surrounded him instead was the dreary cell, with two beds, walls of stone that were always cold to the touch, and above Toby's bed was a small barred opening to the outside world. Toby wiped the sweat off of his face with his wool blanket, and with a heavy sigh, he rubbed his eyes.

"You were having one of those terrors again, were you not?" His cellmate and friend, Porter, asked.

Toby nodded in response and threw his blanket off of himself. "I was. I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Porter," Toy said.

Porter chuckled and leaned against the stone wall. "Nothing can disturb me," he said nonchalantly and stared down at the floor. He then looked at Toby with eager eyes. "You're being released today, yes?"

"I am," Toby said confidently. Today had been the day he had been waiting for for a very long time. The doctor he had to see regularly in this madhouse deemed that Toby had been fully recovered from his terrors and moments of "insanity" that would send him into an emotional yet usually contained frenzy. Toby hadn't lashed out at a patient in five years and his day terrors were becoming less and less frequent. His nightmares remained, but they did not affect his behavior and would allow him to function normally within London's society. Like many of the other patients, Toby's mental ailments were not his fault, but the fault of traumatic past experiences, however, he was almost himself again and had hopes for his future.

Toby was only fourteen years old when he had witnessed the murder of Mrs. Lovett, whom he had learned to love as a mother. He had witnessed the barber, Sweeney Todd, throw her into an open oven and Toby had heard her screams as she was being consumed by the flames. That same night, Toby found dismembered limbs in the meat grinder, where the successful pies of Mrs. Lovette were being made. He had seen the brutally slaughtered bodies of Beadle Bamford, Judge Turpin, and a beggar woman, whom he was sure he had shooed out of the pie shop during the grand opening. From the conversation he had heard between Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd before he killed her, he realized that the beggar woman had been Todd's wife. The horrors he had witnessed had numbed him, leading up to the very moment he murdered Sweeney Todd.

Toby had been a complete mess when he was brought to the madhouse, both mentally and physically. His appetite had vanished for the first few weeks he was there before giving in and partaking in the feasts of gruel. Throughout his days, he would cry hysterically for Mrs. Lovett and swear to avenge her, even though he had already done so. He frequently prayed for the damnation of Sweeney Todd's soul and hoped that he was paying for what he had done.

That night never left Toby's memory. He would have vivid flashbacks of it all, which caused him to have terrible terrors in both the night and day. These terrors would cause him to lash out violently at the other patients by threatening them or shouting at them. All patients, young and old, began to fear the young boy and because of this, Toby was usually kept in a cramped cell, which he shared with two other boys, who were also deemed "dangerous", by the names of Match and Porter. Match, who had been named by other patients, had a fascination with fire and somehow always found matches, which had to be confiscated from him. He spoke nonsense and Toby feared him. He had been the cause of a small fire in the cell, but it was put out before any damage could be done. Match mysteriously vanished one day after a therapy unknown to Toby or Porter and they were told that he had died in an accident with a doctor.

Porter, however, did not seem insane at all to Toby. Porter had already been in this madhouse when Toby had arrived ten years ago. He had been extremely quiet and barely spoke to Toby during the first few months of Toby's arrival. Porter eventually became more comfortable with his cellmate and day by day, he would speak more and more until Toby learned his life story. Porter's mother had been a woman of wealth and a sudden madness led her to murder her husband, or so Porter was told. She was with child when she was placed in the madhouse, which was where Porter was born. His mother had passed away shortly after, leaving Porter in the "care" of nurses and patients. He was given the name Porter for an unknown reason. Terrible things had happened to Porter throughout his early life at the madhouse, which was why he was cautious when trusting new people. Toby was appalled by the things Porter had told him but Porter was even more appalled by the things Toby had told  _him._

Over the years, the two became close friends; each dreaming of a life outside of the madhouse. A life filled with travel, perhaps a wife and family, success and anything else that would distract them from the past. Porter knew he would never leave the madhouse; his life at the madhouse was all he had ever known, but he had hopes for Toby, even if he had been a little fearful of him at times.

Toby had grown into a rather handsome young man. Unlike most of the other patients, Toby tried his best to take good care of himself and not fall to the unhopeful bleakness that the others had fallen into, Porter was included in this bunch. His good behavior over the last few years earned him the trust of the doctors to be released back into normal life. Most patients did not leave this place, however, there were a few lucky ones and Toby was about to be one of them.

"Have you got everything packed and ready?" Porter asked.

Toby nodded excitedly and pointed to a worn leather suitcase near his bed, which contained his few belongings. "I have barely anything to pack," he said and then gave Porter a worried look. "Are you going to be alright without me, Porter? I know how difficult it is for you to talk to people." Toby had been Porter's only friend and it pained Toby to leave, but he knew if he were to stay, the madness would return.

"Oh, I'll be fine. I am going to miss you, Ragg," Porter replied with a genuine smile.

"I shall miss you, as well," Toby sighed and reached over to pick up his very light suitcase.

Porter watched him. "What's the first thing you'll do when you leave?"

"The first thing," Toby began, "is that I'm going back." Toby had been planning to return for years, confident that he could handle being back at the shop. He had no other place to go to and it was a better option than being out on the streets.

Porter's jaw dropped at Toby's answer. "To the shop right away? Why in hell would you want to go back to that damned place? I'd avoid it if I were you."

"Porter, don't worry. One of the officers said the same and I thought about it, but I have some plans that will distract me from all of that and I had the officer here do me a favor before I return. Mitchells is his name," Toby said, holding his suitcase to him. He had kept this planning quiet from Porter since he knew he would try to convince him not to go.

"Such as?" Porter asked, not convinced.

"Well, I told him to empty out Mr. Todd's room upstairs of the unnecessary, except the bigger furniture if it didn't sell, which he did. Nothing had been touched. Money was also found and it went to me, miraculously, I honestly didn't think that would happen. Todd's furniture, along with a few of Mrs. Lovett's, was sold at an auction and the money from the auction is now in my possession at a bank. I bought the shop and have some leftover money. I'm going to reopen Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium once I have all the supplies I need and make even more money. I did learn a lot when I was helping her around the shop. I think I may even re-open the barber shop upstairs so I can make a little extra more, but I'm not quite sure as of yet," Toby explained.

Porter blinked in response. "My, my, my, you have got things well figured out, I must say." Porter was trying to be supportive but had a faint feeling that it would not be easy for Toby.

Before Toby could express his thanks for Porter's support, Officer Mitchells, whom Toby had spoken of, was standing before the door of the cell with keys in hand. He opened it and nodded at both Porter and Toby.

"Mr. Ragg, it's time to go," the officer said.

Toby nodded, turned to Porter, and the two embraced. Porter lightly patted his friend's back.

"Take good care of yourself."

"Right, Porter, you too," Toby said, gently pulling away from him and picking up his suitcase. It was a bittersweet moment, Toby was leaving the past behind and working toward a better future, but part of him would miss life in the madhouse, not the therapies or fear, but the friendship he had shared with Porter and the routine. "Stop by the shop when you get out," Toby told him.

Porter laughed and shook his head. "We'll see about that."

Toby then stepped toward the open door and looked back at his cell, which he lived in for ten years of his life. He looked once more at Porter. "Goodbye, Porter."

"Goodbye, Toby. Be sure to send me one of those meat pies, if you can, aye?" Porter smirked.

Toby smiled at him. "I shall."

Officer Mitchells stood aside as Toby walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. The officer immediately inspected Toby up and down with his eyes. "Uh, first things first," the officer began, "you have to go upstairs, get yourself cleaned up, have a bath, and get some new clothes. You weren't expecting to be released in those horrendous rags, were you?"

Toby looked down at his best shirt with tattered sleeves, faded gray pants, and shoes. "These are my only clothes, Officer."

Officer Mitchells looked at the leather suitcase he was holding and nodded at it. "Then what's in that?"

"Oh, this? This was given to me when I arrived. It has my small possessions that I was able to bring with me."

"I see. Well, while you're upstairs putting yourself together, I shall go out and find something acceptable for you to go out in. I suggest when you arrive back, the first thing you do is find yourself a new wardrobe," the officer advised.

Toby said his thanks to the officer and the two soon departed. Toby headed straight upstairs and found a clean bath to bathe in. After that, he combed his hair, shaved with a razor he found, washed his face, and once he had finished, a new set of clothes had arrived for him to wear. The officer had found for him a gently used pair of black leather boots, a new shirt, trousers, and a coat.

After Toby was dressed, he was told by a nurse that Officer Mitchells was waiting for him outside with a carriage. Toby excitedly picked up his suitcase and looked at a cracked mirror on the wall; he smiled at himself. He looked top-notch and had never worn such nice clothes before. He felt like a brand new man; he  _was_  a brand new man. He was ready to take on a new life, all he had to do was bravely walk out of this hellish place.

As he walked through the halls of cells with the nurse following behind, he heard the moaning and groaning of patients wishing to leave. He kept his gaze straightforward, refusing to look into the eyes of the poor souls until he heard a voice call out his name. He turned toward a cell and saw a haggard old woman with long white hair and sunken eyes. She had been there as longer than Toby had been. Toby was not surprised that she knew his name, for she had been one of the patients he had threatened during a hysterical moment he had years ago.

"There be a bad omen with ye, son," the woman wailed.

Toby stepped back and stared at her in confusion.  _More nonsense._ "You're mad," he muttered. The nurse urged him to continue walking, and he did so.

"I am not the one who be mad! Ye are, Tobias Ragg!" The woman screeched.

Toby shivered and quickened his pace. The nurse said nothing and kept watch on him as she followed.

Once Toby reached the door of the madhouse, he took a deep breath and refused to look behind him. The nurse opened the door to the outside world for him and said: "Goodbye, Mr. Ragg."

"Goodbye," Toby said to her, clutching his suitcase to him and rushing out the door and down the steps of the madhouse. The crisp, yet thick, foggy London air almost immediately left him breathless. He stared up at a sky he had not been able to see, other than through dirty windows and bars, for the past ten years. Toby thought it quite humorous that he found the gloomy sky to be so beautiful after being kept behind stone walls for so long. The sky was just as he remembered it: dark and full of mystery. It was perfect. He inhaled the cold crisp air and noted that the familiar smell of rain was lingering and the roads were already wet from a recent pour. He stared ahead at Officer Mitchells, who was standing by the carriage.

"It's like being in a new world, isn't it?" Officer Mitchells asked.

"It truly is," Toby said, walking over to the carriage.

"Time to leave this place, Mr. Ragg," the officer said as he opened the door of the carriage for him. Toby, not wanting to look back at the madhouse, immediately went into the carriage and slid over to the side to the window that was facing the opposite street.

"You're still planning on Fleet Street as before?" The officer asked before he stepped into the carriage.

Toby did not look away from the window as he answered. "Fleet Street," he said.

The journey to Fleet Street was a fairly short one. Officer Mitchells remained silent all throughout the ride while Toby stared, wide-eyed, at the once familiar buildings and streets. He remembered it all; the church, the grocer, the courthouse, the fountain, the houses, the marketplace. The streets were filled with pockets of people here and there and he wondered what they had thought of the nightmare that happened ten years ago. Had they known? Was a man in their family a victim of Todd? Were they all blissfully unaware? Toby envied them.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the place that was the most familiar to Toby. His heart began to race at the sight of it.

"Ready, Mr. Ragg?" The officer asked.

Toby took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Yes," Toby said quickly, suitcase in hand. He opened the door, stepped out of the carriage and gazed upon the shop. The state of the shop truly reflected the secret horrors that went on inside and below. Mrs. Lovett's sign had faded, the windows were covered in dust, the curtains inside appeared to be in tatters; there seemed to be endless work to be done.

"I do hope that this won't be too much for you, Mr. Ragg," Officer Mitchells said to the young man.

Toby shook his head. "I'm sure I will be able to handle it, Officer." He turned to him and extended his hand. "I am grateful for everything you have done."

"My pleasure," Officer Mitchells said as he shook Toby's hand. "Now, don't be getting yourself into trouble. I have faith in you, Mr. Ragg. I can see that if you play your cards right, you will be very successful."

His words meant the world to Toby at this moment; a little encouragement was what he needed in order to be fully confident for his life to be better so he would never return to the madhouse again. "Thank you so much, Officer," Toby said with a friendly smile. "I won't let you down. Once I get this shop re-opened, I'll be sure to give you your first pie be free of charge; just don't tell a soul."

Officer Mitchells laughed heartily. "Why, thank you, Mr. Ragg. I appreciate it. I do enjoy having a good meal once in a while," he said as he got back into the carriage. "I'm sure we shall see one another soon."

"Of course," Toby nodded and watched the carriage disappear into the mist. Once it was gone, Toby breathed a sigh of relief, opened his leather suitcase, and pulled out a ring of keys given to him months prior. He found what he remembered to be the right key for the front door and walked slowly to it. He shut his eyes tightly as he put the key in the lock and gave it a turn. The door swung open after he gave it a gentle push. Mustering his confidence, he opened his eyes and peered into the shop. "Alright, then," he sighed and entered. He could feel clouds of dust fall lightly on him, along with cobwebs, and what he was sure were spider webs.

Everything in the entrance was the same as it was ten years ago. The table where he ate his first meat pie was there and so was Mrs. Lovett's baking area. He smiled softly to himself. He remembered sitting at that table eating while he watched Mrs. Lovett bake and tell him stories that he so enjoyed.

He continued on into the next room, the sitting room. The fireplace was still intact but Mrs. Lovett's decorations were gone. Toby concluded that they must have been stolen or sold at the auction. To his left was Mrs. Lovett's chair, worn and faded, but still intact, obviously not pretty enough to sell. He remembered seeing her rest on that chair after a long day of work. He would always sit near her and the two would have humorous conversations with each other. If anyone had heard them, they would assume the two were quite mad, which they might have been.

After revisiting memories, Toby decided to see what the upstairs was like. He went through the side of the shop and saw the space where all the tables for Mrs. Lovett's grand opening had been placed. To his right were the wooden steps that led up to the room where Sweeney Todd had lived and done his gruesome business. Toby gazed up at the steps and felt his stomach begin to twist in knots. He thought of all the times that he had sent men upstairs to see the best barber in London. He had sent them to their death.

Brushing the guilt aside, Toby hesitantly went up the creaking steps, hitting the barber's pole as he passed it. He already had the correct key in hand once he had made it to the landing and opened the door. The room was fairly empty, as Toby had wanted, aside from the bulkier furniture that probably could not sell. What a relief it was to Toby to see that the bloody mess from that night when he was showing the officers what Todd had done was all cleaned up. No sign of the horrendous murders could be seen anywhere, not on the floor, nor the windows.

The dusty bed frame had been left for Toby, as well as the old barber station. The barber chair was also left in the middle of the room. He approached it with caution and examined it; it was worn, just as the chair downstairs, and was as dusty as a tomb. He lightly stepped on the pedal of the chair but nothing happened. Upon doing this, he realized that the trap door for the bodies had been hammered shut. Everything else in the room was gone, and after a brief examination of the room's condition, Toby decided that this room was now his.

When Toby set his suitcase down on the floor, dust flew up and filled the air. He waved the dust away and knelt down beside his suitcase to empty it out. What fell out were the three possessions he had kept with him for ten years. The keys were one of these possessions; he had taken the keys he found on the floor when he escaped from the bakehouse and kept them with him until the investigators asked for them. After their investigation, Toby asked for them back and seeing no need for them anymore, the investigators returned them to him until needed again. The second possession was the tattered hat that he wore when he was younger. It didn't fit him anymore but he had kept it for no particular reason. The last possession was a barber knife he had stolen from Sweeney Todd. It was the same knife that he had used to slit Sweeney Todd's throat with. He had tried parting with it so many times throughout the years, but a haunting force had always prevented him from doing so.

Toby stood up from the floor and gazed around the room, imagining what he could do with it. He would clean up the station and chair, as well as purchase some furniture for the lonely room. Downstairs, he would refurbish Mrs. Lovett's sitting room and polish the tables, as well as purchase new tables for the outside patio. When he was ready to face his fears, he would go down to the bakehouse and start the machines up again but this time, the machines would  _really_  be making meat pies. Toby was ready to make things right and he intended to keep it that way.

Toby went back downstairs minutes later to the pie shop and forced opened a cupboard, full of spider webs. He wasn't surprised when he saw a dead spider in the corner of the cupboard and knew he would be coming across many of them, dead and alive, as he began restoring the place. He opened another cupboard and found an extremely dusty bottle of gin next to equally dusty glass cups. "Ah, you look familiar," Toby grinned. He took the dusty bottle and a glass and examined them. After blowing into the cup, and wiping both the cup and bottle on his shirt, he walked over to the table in the corner and sat. He happily served himself some gin and reclined in his seat, as if he didn't have a care in the world. He hadn't had a nice glass of gin like this in quite some time. The only time he was able to have a drink like this was when it was stolen from doctors and passed around during mealtime.

Toby held his glass out as if he was proposing a toast. "To a new life," he stated and took a hearty sip. The gin soon ignited something within him and Toby began to plan how to turn the drab abandoned shop into a place of success.


	2. The Grand Opening

As the months passed, Toby's hopes and dreams for the shop became a reality. He began with buying tables and chairs for the shop and some furniture for himself. He had a new sign made and soon,  _Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium_ began attracting the eyes of those passing by, curious as to what was being done to the place. Toby simply waved at them through the window if he locked eyes with any of them, and continued on working. Eventually, he began purchasing fresh ingredients and venturing into the bakehouse to began his trial-and-error of making the perfect meat pie. He labored day and night in the humid bakehouse, occupying his mind with anything and everything, except what had happened in their ten years ago.

The first time he entered the notorious bakehouse, he ran out, fearing that he would find something unpleasant or be locked in accidentally. He mustered up all the bravery that he had within him and returned, hesitantly walking through the bakehouse. The meat grinder and oven were all that remained. Even though the past had been cleaned away, Toby could not help but shiver at the thought of the innocent dead that were in this bakehouse. He wondered if their souls had lingered behind, lost and confused.

Day after day, Toby returned to the bakehouse trying only to focus on the task at hand. Eventually, he became numb to what had happened down there and worked with a quiet mind, almost forgetting what had happened. He worked quickly and eventually went in and out of the bakehouse with ease and without fear. There were a few instances, however, where he would damn his mind for playing tricks on him as he would think he could hear footsteps in the bakehouse, or see something dark in the corner, appearing to be a body, but after blinking once and looking back, whatever was seen was gone.

After four months of cleaning, preparing, and advertising, Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium was ready for its grand re-opening. A mix of nervousness and excitement filled Toby as the hour of the grand re-opening approached. He had dressed not only to work and serve, but to impress. He purchased new clothes for himself and even had his shoes shined. He wanted the customers to see the pride that he took not only in appearance but in his work.

A savory aroma filled the air and began attracting customers, who had begun lining up as the hour drew near. Toby knew that if there was a large gathering, it was mostly due to the fact that many wanted to see what had become of the old shop where an infamous barber once lived. No one knew of the victims being used for meat pies, though some had their speculation. Society had only been told that the Judge, the Beadle, and Mrs. Lovett had been killed by Sweeney Todd before killing himself. Stories surrounded the shop and the thought of it being haunted intrigued many people. Toby had hoped that his food would be so enjoyed by customers, that they would return only for the food, rather than the stories of the past.

Toby only felt a tad uneasy about being judged by those who knew he had a past at the shop. He hoped they would not pity him or fear him; he was different and was truly working toward a better life for himself. He had not socialized with this many people before since he was a boy, so he hoped he social skills were what they used to be and that he would be able to balance serving food and making his customers feel welcomed.

As he waited for the grandfather clock in his sitting room to strike five o'clock, he peered through the window curtains to see the faces of those who were waiting. Many hungry and curious eyes stared at the shop in wonder, and all were excitedly talking amongst each other. Toby smiled at those who he made eye contact with as he gazed along the line of people. There were men, women, and children of all ages and families, couples, as well as singles, both rich and poor. Mrs. Lovett would have been proud.

There was one person in line that particularly stood out to Toby, and he even had to stop himself from gawking at the young woman in question through the window. He stared at her in immediate wonder. The dimly lit street lamp seemed to illuminate her pale skin and neatly coiffed blonde hair. Stray curled strands of hair fell at the sides of her face, next to her rosy cheeks. In Toby's eyes, he saw her as having soft and almost angelic features. Her lace gloves and deep purple dress signified wealth, and Toby wondered why a marvel like her would even want to step foot on Fleet Street.

She was conversing with a couple standing next to her. The women shared similar features but the other appeared a bit older, which signified that they were related. The man, tall and distracted by his coat sleeve, seemed to be the older woman's husband. Before Toby could turn away, the young woman looked toward the window and met eyes with Toby. Toby's eyes widened in fear of being discovered that he was staring at her, and he quickly left the window. The young woman craned her neck a bit out of curiosity as she tried to see where he disappeared to, but after failing to see further into the shop, she turned back and continued the conversation.

Toby stood in his sitting room, embarrassed yet re-focused on his goal for the night: to have a successful grand-reopening. As the grandfather clock struck five o'clock, he took a deep breath and went to open the door.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Toby asked loudly as he walked out of the door. The eager customers in line quieted as and stared at him. Toby breathed away any nervousness he had been feeling and spoke with confidence. "Welcome to the grand re-opening of Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium. My name is Tobias Ragg and I am eager to serve you all and am sure you shall have a memorable time. Do come in and find a table." With a friendly smile, Toby stepped aside and the customers began entering the shop and went out through the side to find a table. Many nodded their thanks or greeted Toby as they passed him and he did the same. As the young woman who Toby had been staring at approached, she glanced at him and her enchanting blue eyes met his.

"Welcome, Miss," Toby greeted confidently. She softly smiled at him and nodded back. "Thank you," she said and continued walking with those she came with. Toby watched her for just a moment before greeting other guests. His smile was bigger than ever now and he was eager for the night to begin.

Belle Marsden sat patiently at a table on the patio of the shop, with her sister and brother-in-law, Vivian and Philip Andrews. The savory aroma coming from the shop made her hunger more prominent. She turned to her sister, who was going on about the rumors surrounding this shop. "Vivian," Belle began, "we're here to eat not gossip." "Well," Vivian sighed, "I can't help myself, it's just so interesting. Haven't you been listening to what Philip has been saying?"

"Not particularly," Belle confessed. "I heard something said about a Sweeney Todd but not much else."

"I'm shocked. Pay attention more," Vivian scolded. "Tell her again, darling," she said to her husband. Philip nodded and stroked his neatly trimmed beard in thought. "Now, let's see; over ten years ago, a barber named Todd and a baker named Mrs. Lovett went into business together. It was a murderous business at that. Apparently, Sweeney Todd was a killer. He killed many people including Mrs. Lovett and then himself. However, now I don't know if this is true or not, but there is some talk that Mrs. Lovett would cook the pies and Mr. Todd would provide the meat. It's not what you think it is - no. His customers at his barber shop were the meat. It is said that he cut their throat-" "Darling!" Vivian exclaimed, a little bit too loudly. "Spare us those details, please." She fanned herself in embarrassment. Belle furrowed her brows at her brother-in-law. "I surprised you agree with these rumors. They may be the farthest from the truth."

"Oh, I'm not agreeing with these rumors. I'm just saying what has been said about it. I'm sure the people pies is false. And I apologize, I share spare you fine ladies of those unnecessary details," Philip said, redeeming himself in his wife's eyes. The women nodded in thanks and Philip continued. "But the murders of Mrs. Lovette and Todd in the bakehouse are true. The Judge and Beadle Bamford were also with them."

"How dreadful," Belle sighed. Philip nodded in agreement. "There's more. The new owner- oh, where is he?" Philip looked over his shoulder at Toby, who was happily serving and conversing with customers. Vivian and Belle looked too but quickly averted their gaze so as to not call attention to themselves. "What about him?" Belle asked with great curiosity. Philip turned back to her. "Well, a young boy had worked here, as well, and he saw it all happen. I've heard rumors that he was released from the insane asylum at the beginning of the year and now, he runs the shop. That's him."

A gasp escaped Vivian's mouth and she looked back again at Toby. "An insane asylum patient?"

Belle looked at him again too and saw how cordial Toby was being with the customers. "Again all rumors. Even if it is true, look at his calm demeanor. He is certainly a changed man," she said. Philip scoffed. "Changed man he may be but the traumas he's endured will always remain. Only he knows the truth, remember."

"Well, we do not need to know that truth. It doesn't matter now," Vivian said, continuing to fan herself.

All of the nervousness Toby had been feeling at the start of the night had faded away. He was welcomed back into society graciously by his customers, who were highly curious as to how he was able to escape the horrors of the past. Toby briefly told the past years had changed him and he was a better man with ambitions and desires for success, which was met with smiles and best wishes. The pies were as successful as Toby would have hoped. He couldn't walk by one table without being stopped to receive a compliment.

Toby hesitantly approached the table where the blonde woman and her companions were sitting. Twice he noticed the man seated with them staring at him almost suspiciously. They were speaking in hushed tones and leaning toward one another. Toby felt that their conversations were about him but he hoped he was wrong. He approached the table with a tray of pies. "Hello," he greeted. "Two pies for the ladies," he said as he set the plates down in front of the women. He kept his gaze on the younger woman for much too long and he instantly became flustered. "Ah, and one for the gentleman," he said as he set the plate down in front of the man, who nodded in thanks. "Will that be all you need?" Toby asked. "Silverware," the man stated. "How do you expect us to eat? With our hands?"

"Silverware!" Toby repeated, cheeks flushing. "Yes, I'll be right back with that, sir." He left quickly and back into the shop. Belle sighed softly and Vivian glanced at her husband. "Philip," she lightly scolded. "Be kind to him, he's clearly nervous about tonight."

"I simply asked for silverware, darling. Besides, I don't think it's the night that's making him nervous," Philip said, eyeing Belle. Belle was gazing down at the meat pie and had not realized what Philip meant. Vivian looked at her too. "I did notice that. Belle, he was looking at you for quite some time." Belle looked up from the pie. "Looking at me? He was being polite, Vivian."

"No, he was not. Remember what happened in that novel you've been reading? The hero stared at the heroine and immediately, the two were drawn to each other" Vivian reminded. Philip rolled his eyes. "Good God, Vivian, your little sister isn't reading those silly romance novels is she?"

"They aren't silly," Belle stated. "And that isn't anything like this, Vivian, goodness. He is handsome but I do not know him." She could feel her cheeks growing warm and took a sip of her drink. Vivian smiled. "Of course I'm only teasing, Belle. What's happening in the most recent chapter of that book, anyway?" She asked while Philip turned away from the conversation he found to be nonsense. "Well," Bell began, "right now the heroine was caught in a severe thunderstorm near the mysterious man's estate. She's staying in the estate for the night until the storm passes."

"Scandalous," Philip huffed. "And is this mysterious man an old asylum patient?"

Belle pulled gently at her lace gloves in annoyance. "He isn't and will you please stop saying that out loud? Look, he's returning with the silverware. Let's all be kind and perhaps you can introduce yourself to him, Philip. I do not want him to think us rude."

"None of that matters, but alright."

"Here is your silverware," Toby announced as he returned to the table. "Thank you, Mr… What is your name?" Toby turned to the man that asked him the question. "Tobias Ragg, Sir."

"Tobias Ragg. I am Philip Andrews," Philip said, extending his hand out to Toby in order to please his sister-in-law. Toby shook his hand. "This is my wife, Mrs. Andrews." Vivian smiled as her introduction was being made. "Mrs. Andrews," Toby repeated. "And this is my sister-in-law, Miss Marsden," Philip continued. With a smile, Belle nodded in greeting to Toby. "Lovely to meet you, Mr. Ragg. I cannot wait to try these savory pies."

"It is lovely to meet  _you_ , Miss Marsden. I hope the pies are not a disappointment," Toby said. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was now that he was standing before her. He was going to say more but knew her brother-in-law was watching him. "Well, I won't keep you. Please, enjoy the food," Toby said and left to another table. "Thank you," Viviane said as he walked away. "And thank you, Philip, for being kind to him this time." Philip shrugged and began eating.

The rest of the night went as well as Toby had hoped. Everyone was satisfied with their pies, and many even asked for seconds. Toby, though overwhelmed by doing everything himself, was extremely grateful for the success of the evening. He gave a courteous farewell to those who left the table after paying, hoping that they will return again. With a smile on his face, he looked proudly up at his shop. As he glanced up at his bedroom on the second floor, which was once Sweeney Todd's barbershop, he was startled. A shadowy figure was looking out from the window of the second floor. Toby blinked hard and looked back at the window. The figure was still there.  _There's someone up there in my room._ Toby immediately turned toward the staircase to the second floor and smacked right into someone. "Oh!" He backed away and saw that he had walked into none other than Miss Marsden. "I am so sorry, do forgive me," Toby pleaded. Belle, still comprehending what happened, shook her head and took a step back. "Do not worry, Mr. Ragg. It was my fault, I shouldn't have been standing so close," she blushed. Toby chuckled nervously and looked back up at the window. The figure was still there. He looked back at Belle, who was looking at him with a raised brow. "Is everything alright, Mr. Ragg? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine, thank you," he lied. "I'm just in shock at how successful tonight was." Belle relaxed her brow and smiled. "Yes, it does seem like it was a very successful night for you! I just wanted to tell you personally that dinner was delicious. My family and I enjoyed it very much," she said. Toby smiled graciously. "I'm happy to hear that Miss…" "Marsden." "Miss Marsden, yes. Do come back soon. The pies will always be here."

"Oh, I shall!" Belle smiled. "Well, I should be going. Best of luck to you, Mr. Ragg." "Thank you," Toby nodded. "And a good evening to you, Miss Marsden."

"Thank you." With that, Belle quickly rejoined her sister and brother-and-law, who were waiting for her outside the side gate of the patio. She gave Toby one last glance before turning to leave. She could see that he was a kind man but now her curiosity was piqued. How many of the rumors were true? Did this man with kind eyes truly see the horrors he is said to have seen?

Toby watched Belle Marsden leave with her family and then looked back at the upstairs window. The figure was gone. He decided he would investigate later for it may be all in his imagination, for now, he had remaining customers to attend to.

At the end of the evening, Toby hastily cleaned the tables and brought back all the dirty dishes into the shop. He was now seated behind the counter, counting his earnings. He had never had so much money in his hand as he did at that very moment. It may not have been much for a wealthy person, but for Toby, it was a physical sign that his hard work had paid off. He stored his money away in a safe he purchased for his bedroom and returned to the storefront. With a yawn, he placed each plate into the sink and began to wash them.

As he washed, Toby reflected on the evening. It had gone without incident and he was met with kindness by mostly everyone. There were a few who seemed suspicious of him. He immediately thought of Philip Andrews and the lies he must have been telling his wife and Miss Marsden.  _Miss Marsden._   _I'm glad she came here tonight. Never before have I seen such a beautiful woman. She looks like an angel on earth. Hopefully, this isn't the last time I see her_. Toby's thought made him smile, but his smile quickly faded as he heard a muffled sound from above him. He stopped washing and remained still, listening to the sound. His eyes widened as he realized the sound seemed to be footsteps. He ran out of the store and up the stairs, his heart accelerating with every step. He slammed open the door, lit a lamp, and looked around his room. "Who's in here?" he asked loudly. "Show yourself!" He demanded.

There was no one in his room, however, aside from himself. Toby's quickened breathing slowed as he cautiously paced around the room, checking behind furniture, even under the bed, and being hyper-aware of any noise he heard.  _It was my imagination._ Thankfully, Toby found nothing suspicious in the room and decided that noise was simply the floorboards creaking due to age and the figure he saw earlier must not have been a figure at all, simply a shadow from a neighboring building or something of that sort. Nevertheless, Toby still felt uneasy in that moment. He locked the door and returned downstairs to finish washing the dishes and cleaning up.

An hour later, the dishes were done, the candles were diminished, and Toby returned upstairs. He remained cautious as he went about the room and even checked behind the furniture again as he did earlier. Nothing. He told himself that paranoia would not get the best of him. As he sank into his bed, his tiredness took the place of his fear. He fell asleep and dreamt of nothing but darkness, as he had since arriving back to Fleet Street.


	3. An Afternoon Out

The following weeks brought much success to the shop and Toby was beyond thrilled. He became so busy in the evenings that he decided to close the shop every other morning and on Fridays so that he had enough time to prepare the pies and shop for ingredients. It was a tedious routine at times but Toby enjoyed it, however, he soon began to realize that he needed to find other ways to pass the time he had free. He hadn't made any friends, despite having friendly recurring customers. He knew many were suspicious of the pie shop's history but not many wanted to befriend Toby, and because of this, they distanced themselves from him. On many occasions, Toby could have sworn that he saw the woman from the grand opening, Miss Marsden, peeking through the window during the morning as he worked inside the shop. Whenever Toby would look up to see her fully, she would be gone. Toby eventually convinced himself that it was not her for why would a woman like her care about a man such as him? Despite the loneliness, Toby was feeling exceptionally well.

It had been one month since the shop had been open and Toby decided it was time for him to splurge a bit on himself. He had set aside some money for himself from the shop's earnings in hopes of purchasing a new coat and possibly a hat he had seen many of the gentlemen wearing. He eagerly locked up the shop and went on his way, glancing back at it as he walked. His eyes darted up to his bedroom windows, which now were covered by curtains. He had not seen any shadow or felt anything eerie in the room since the night of the shop's opening, which was a relief to him. The paranoia had to be put to rest.

As Toby walked along the London streets, he could feel curious eyes on him. Only when he looked back at them did passer-bys greet him. It did not bother him too much as he knew that after some time, the stares would stop and people would know him as Tobias Ragg, the pie-shop owner, not Tobias Ragg, the boy who was tangled up in a murderous mess.

Toby was not searching for any shop, in particular, simply one that had what he needed. He crossed the busy carriage-filled streets and approached a shop that had what seemed to be hat displays in the window. As he drew closer to the window, he realized that the shop was a woman's hat shop. The pale-colored hats were displayed beautifully on velvet boxes with delicate flowers. As he gazed past the hats, he realized that there was something far more beautiful within the shop. Belle Marsden was standing next to a hat stand with a slight frown on her face. Her attention was focused on the sleeve of her dress until she suddenly looked over her shoulder as if someone had been calling her name. Toby watched as she gently shook her head in reply and face forward. Their eyes met. Toby suddenly embarrassed at his apparent gawking, took a step back while Belle tilted her head slightly in confusion. Her mouth opened to speak but a woman stood in front of her with an obnoxious feathered hat, blocking Toby's view. Toby took this moment as his chance to walk away from the store. He shoved his hands into his pockets and began to walk away. He wondered what she must think of him; was she telling others about the strange pie shop owner staring at her through the window?

Within seconds, Toby heard the bells of an open shop door chime followed by the sound of light yet determined footsteps. Toby continued walking but hopeful thoughts of it being Miss Marsden entered his mind though he forbade himself to entertain them.

"Mr. Ragg?" A voice called out from behind him.

So it  _was_  her. Toby smiled to himself and turned around. "Yes?" He asked. Belle Marsden stood before him, cheeks slightly flushed from either walking too quickly or the impropriety of leaving a store to follow him.

"I thought it was you," she said coolly. "I saw you admiring the hats through the window and I thought I would say hello to you."

"Oh, that is very kind of you. Hello," Toby said with a slight nod. "Miss Marsden, isn't it?" He asked, though already knowing the answer, of course.

Belle smiled. "Yes. You remember me."

"Of course, I do. I remember faces quite well," Toby said to her. "Ah, and I do apologize, I did not know you were on the other side of the window. I hope I didn't frighten you."

"Frighten me? Of course not. I was surprised to see you looking so admirably at the woman's hats, though," Belle said. Toby chuckled but said nothing, they both knew he hadn't been looking at the hats. "Is your shop closed today?" Belle asked.

"Closed today, yes. I've spent so much time in there that I decided I am in need of a day out and a new coat," he said.

"A new coat?" Belle asked. "My sister's husband is looking for a new coat today, as well! Please, join us."

Toby was dumbfounded. " _Join you?_ " He repeated.

"Yes, join us, please. Philip knows of a wonderful coat shop."

This sudden kindness took Toby by surprise and he pondered on whether or not Miss Marsden's family would approve of him tagging along with them. "I… Yes, I'll join you."

"Wonderful," Belle smiled as she clasped her hands together. "Come." She walked back and into the shop. Toby reluctantly followed hoping that her brother-in-law would not send him away.

"There you are, Belle!" Her sister, Vivian, said as Belle entered the shop. "Where did you go?"

"I went out for some fresh air," Belle answered. "And I found someone outside, as well." She said, looking at Toby, who had followed her in.

Toby smiled at her sister. "Hello, Mrs…-" "Andrews. It is so nice to see you, Mr. Ragg. How is your business?" Vivian asked, mentally wondering how and why his sister brought him into the shop.

"Business is wonderful, thank you," Toby said. He noticed Mr. Andrews was approaching with a hat box. He seemed puzzled by Toby's presence but nodded in greeting as he approached."Mr. Ragg," he said, and firmly shook Toby's hand. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I was on a walk and saw your sister-in-law. She tells me you are going to go coat shopping and I happen to be looking for a coat myself. I don't get out much so she suggested I join you."

"I see," Philip said and glanced at Belle.

"How very kind of her!" Vivian smiled.

"I suppose you can join us," Philip said. Belle nodded in thanks while Toby breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Toby said.

"Of course. Let's go then. I'll hold your hat, darling," Philip said to Vivian as he began to walk out of the store.

"Thank you!" Vivian said as she followed. "You didn't find a hat you wanted, Belle?"

"I think I shall return some other day," Belle told her. She looked at Toby and slowly walked out of the shop, waiting for him to join her side, which he did. She was pleased with Philip allowing Toby to join them since he had not been too impressed with him at the opening of his shop. Belle could see that Tobias Ragg was a man in need of friends; he had said so himself that he did not go out much and Belle wanted to change that. If the rumors and stories about his past were true, Belle only deemed it necessary to treat him with kindness so that he could feel comfortable being back in society. She did not fear the fact that he had been in an asylum all these years as he seemed perfectly sane to her, but then again, she had never been around anyone classified as insane. In her eyes, he seemed to be severely misjudged. She also found him to be rather handsome. He was tall, had kind eyes, and seemed like a gentle soul, something she had not felt with Philip's bachelor friends whom she was introduced to on numerous occasions.

Toby walked alongside Belle as they follow her sister and brother-in-law. Not wanting to walk in silence, he mustered up his confidence and began to converse with Belle. "Do you live near here?" He asked, unsure if that was an appropriate question or not.

"Not near here, no. My sister does not live too far, though." Belle said. "And do you live at the shop? You always seem to be there."

"I do," Toby said. "And how do you know I'm always there?"

"I can see you working through the windows sometimes," Belle confessed. "My sister and I go to a dress shop near there and we always pass by your shop. I usually take a peek inside of the windows." She suddenly regretted her disclosure but to her surprise, Toby smiled. "So it has been you," he laughed. "I've noticed you sometimes but I'm never sure if it's you or not."

"Yes, it's me," Belle chimed. "I'm just a curious person, that's all."

"So am I," Toby said. He looked to his side and noticed that they were passing by cemetery gates. A couple could be seen standing in front of one of the graves, comforting each other. He had remembered passing by the cemetery many times as a child while in Pirelli's caravan or on errands with Mrs. Lovett. He remembered one occasion when he passed by with Mrs. Lovett while they were on their way to buy toffees. There was a family gathered around a grave crying softly. "Oh, that breaks my heart, it does," Mrs. Lovett said as she looked away. "But, life goes on, doesn't it, darling?"

Toby watched the family and looked at her. "Yes, but they seem so sad. I wonder what happened."

"Well, that's none of our business, darling," she said, suddenly pulling him along. "Let's go get our toffees and then we'll tell stories later."

Looking back on the memory now, Toby realized that perhaps Mrs. Lovett's sudden hastiness to walk past the cemetery was most likely due to guilt. The family was in mourning as were the other families of those that had fallen victim to  _him_  and Mrs. Lovett had been part of that. She had not meant to, though, Toby thought. _She had fallen under the devil's spell._

"Mr. Ragg?" Miss Marsden's voice pulled him away from his thoughts. "You've been staring off into the cemetery as you've been walking. Is everything alright?" She asked, concern filling her voice.

"Yes," Toby sighed. "Everything is alright. I just am not fond of cemeteries."

Belle looked through the gates as they walked, her gaze on the mourning couple. "Neither do I," she said softly. "They seem peaceful but full of sorrow. I've also heard stories of ghosts and phantoms being in cemeteries."

"Oh, you really do not believe all that, do you?" Toby asked.

Belle looked away from the gate and at him. "Well, no, but one cannot help but think it." She noticed her sister glancing over her shoulder for a few moments before facing forward and Belle lowered her voice so that Vivian would not be able to hear her. "Actually, Mr. Ragg, I must confess I find those stories rather interesting."

Toby leaned in slightly to hear her and smiled. "Do you? My, my, Miss Marsden,  _you_  enjoy those stories? Stories of monsters and ghouls?"

Belle lightly shrugged her shoulders and blushed at his teasing. "Well, I do not hear them often but there is one I found particularly interesting. No ghosts, though, just monsters. Do you read, Mr. Ragg?"

"I…  _can_  read," Toby hesitated. He had taught himself how to read well and write while at the asylum along with the other wrongly imprisoned patients. He read letters and some short stories but never anything challenging. If Miss Marsden could read, he certainly did not want to reveal to her that he had never picked up a novel and read it for pleasure. "Why do you ask?"

"I have a novel that you may be interested in if you enjoy tales of monsters. It's called  _Frankenstein_. I took it from Philip's office one day and read it all. It was fascinating although I don't think he would enjoy the idea that I read it," Belle said quietly, making sure Philip and Vivian could not hear her.

Toby's curiosity was piqued. " _Frankenstein_? How interesting. What's it about?"

"A man who creates a monster," Belle said. "But I won't spoil it for you. Would you care to borrow it sometime?"

Toby smirked. "Well, you have me interested now so I'll have to borrow it."

Belle smiled as though she had been victorious. "Wonderful."

Minutes later, the group found themselves at the coat shop. Philip entered first and greeted the shop owner and introduced Toby to him. The owner was gracious and immediately began showing Toby the suits he had available. Belle watched and looked around the shop, as well. Vivian followed her. "You know Philip isn't too happy about this," she told her.

"Mr. Ragg needs good company, sister," Belle reminder her. "And I do believe that we are good company."

"I think you may fancy him," Vivian said with a raised brow. "You can admire him, Belle, but Philip would never approve."

Belle turned away from her sister and picked up a pair of dark gloves for sale on the counter. "I'm not seeking approval from anyone. I simply want to be kind and be a friend," she said as she examined the gloves.

"I understand," her sister sighed.

On the other side of the store, the shop owner was giving Toby a coat to try on. He stood in front of a mirror and slipped into the dark grey coat on. The owner placed a hat on Toby's head and suddenly Toby didn't recognize himself. "I look like a posh gentleman," he said out loud.

"The coat looks fine though it needs to be tailored," Philip said to the owner. Vivian and Belle rushed over to see how Toby looked. "You look very well put together, Mr. Ragg," Vivian said.

"I agree," Belle smiled. "All that's missing are these." She held out the pair of gloves to him. Toby took them with a smile and slid them on. If his friends and the doctors from the asylum could see him now, they'd be shocked.

"I think the gloves complete it all," he said to her as the owner began to take his measurements.

"They do," Belle agreed.

Toby turned to the shop owner and took the hat off. "I'll take it all," he said, words he had never said before in a shop. The owner looked pleased and continued taking measurements. "Excellent, Mr. Ragg! I shall finish taking your measurements and tailor the coat to fit you perfectly."

Toby nodded and said his thanks. Philip soon walked away to try on other coats while his wife followed. Belle remained with Toby. "Do I look dashing, Miss Marsden?" Toby smirked.

"You do," Belle smiled. The two locked eyes for a moment, both surprised at their boldness. "As dashing as anyone else would look dressed like that," Belle said quickly. Toby chuckled and looked back at himself in the mirror. He took the coat off and handed it to the owner, who took it from Toby and laid it on the counter. "I shall have it delivered to you, Mr. Ragg. Please fill out this card for me."

Toby followed the shop owner and wrote the address of the pie shop on the card. "I'm always there so it can be delivered any time, including the hat and gloves."

"Perfect."

Toby spent the remainder of the afternoon with Belle and her family and enjoyed every moment of it. Philip did not converse with him much but he did spend most of the time talking to Belle. He learned that she filled her time with reading novels and going on walks with her sister. She revealed that she also lived with her aunt but frequently stayed in her sister's home. She said nothing about her parents and made sure to not reveal anything personal, as did he. The conversation remained focus on interests alone. Toby was surprised that she had not asked him anything about his past and she seemed to not even have it on her mind. He found her to be a genuine person based on their interaction but he knew there would come a point where she curiosity would get the best of her.

"I haven't had these in ages," Toby announced, holding a small bag of toffees he had just purchased.

"You haven't? Oh, they're divine," Belle smiled.

"Are you hungry, Mr. Ragg?" Vivian asked. She had begun to take a liking to him during that afternoon. "You should join us for dinner."

Philip shot a surprised look at his wife. "Darling, we're going to the theatre tonight, remember?"

"Oh, of course," Vivian remarked. "Well, soon you should join us for dinner."

"Yes," Belle agreed. "And you must meet my aunt, as well."

"I would be happy to. Thank you," Toby said graciously.

"We really must be getting home so we can get ready for tonight," Philip said to his wife, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Vivian said and turned to Toby. "Until next time, Mr. Ragg."

Toby smiled at her. "Until next time, Mrs. Andrews… And Mr. Andrews."

Philip nodded and began to walk away, holding his arm out for Vivian, who took it. Belle watched them for a moment. "We'll see each other again soon, Mr. Ragg," she assured.

"I'm looking forward to it," Toby smiled. He took her hand and gently kissed it. "I hope you enjoy the theatre tonight."

Belle blushed. "I shall."

"Goodbye, Miss Marsden," Toby said. As he walked away, toffees in hand, he had a soft smile on his face. For the first time in a very long time, he felt a sense of belonging. Never in his life did he have a normal outing with a group of people and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. They all treated him as their equal, except for Mr. Andrews, of course, but that did not really matter. Toby walked home with a small skip in his step and he looked forward to the next time he and Miss Marsden would meet again.

"What a lovely afternoon," Belle said as she walked home with her sister and brother-in-law. "I think it is a wonderful idea, Vivian, that Mr. Ragg joins us for dinner sometime. That is very kind of you to say."

Vivian was about to say her thanks but Philip interrupted her. "I do not think inviting  _him_  to dinner is a good idea."

Belle frowned at Philip. "Well then, we'll have to go to the shop instead."

"No!"

Vivian and Belle were both startled by Philip's tone of voice. Others looked at them and Philip took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "But no. I do not want to go back to that shop."

"Why ever not?" Vivian asked. "We enjoyed dinner there so much last time."

Belle watched Philip. He looked uneasy and also, she thought, a tad bit frightened. "I just do not want to go back there. I've heard too many stories since then and I don't want to dine at a place where innocent lives were taken," he whispered.

"You don't know if that's true," Belle reminded.

Philip glared at her. "I do. If you only knew any better and believed the truth you would stay away from the place  _and_  from Mr. Ragg. Believe me, I remember being in there when I was a young boy and I could just feel-"

"What? Why were you in there?" Vivian asked with great curiosity.

"It doesn't matter but returning brought all the memories back. I just know it's dangerous."

Belle was angry now but kept her composure. "Whatever happened there does not define Mr. Ragg nor can we believe rumors. It's cruel to judge him when you know nothing about him."

"You know nothing about him either, Isabelle," Philip stated. "All I know is that a sane person does not return to work and live in a place where horrors such as that took place. If it was so traumatic for him, he should have opened up a shop elsewhere. He was locked up in a madhouse for a reason and even if he did nothing wrong, being in a madhouse for that long must have traumatized him. Think about that." He walked away in a huff. Vivian, wide-eyed, looked at her sister before following her husband. Defeated, Belle held her tongue and followed them. He had no choice but to live there, she thought. She knew many thought her to be naive but she refused to let the stories, true or not, cause them to treat Mr. Ragg poorly.

Days past and the thought of her lingered in Toby's mind. He remained eager and motivated to work, but whenever he heard the bells of the shop door chime, he expected her, but it was never her. He wanted to know more about her and knew she wanted to know more about him, but perhaps his wanting of some normalcy in his life was all just a dream.  _How could she care for someone like me?_

The following Friday, Toby was washing all the dishes from the previous day. It had been a very busy week and he was grateful for the business, but the work was proving to be difficult for one person to handle alone. He wondered how Mrs. Lovett managed to do the majority of it all herself before he came along to be an extra hand; of course, he only helped her with serving and washing. He was never allowed to be in the bakehouse with her. Frequently, he ran errands for her and Sweeney Todd but noticed when he would return, they'd be talking quietly together either upstairs in the barbershop or downstairs in the shop. The air was always full of secrets but Toby never wanted to believed that Mrs. Lovett was involved in anything terrible. He still didn't want to believe.

Once everything was clean, Toby leaned against the counter and wiped it down lazily with a rag. All was quiet except for the heavy rain outside, which Toby watched as he cleaned the counter. He softly began humming to himself and threw the rag into a cupboard. At that exact moment, the door opened and the bells chimed. He looked up in surprise. "Miss Marsden!"

"Mr. Ragg, hello," Belle greeted as she walked in. She was wearing a heavy black cloak wet with fresh raindrops. She dropped her hood and smiled at him. "How are you?"

"Very well," Toby beamed. "What brings you here in this rain?"

"Well, I brought you something," she said, revealing the book she held in the crook of her arm. She laid  _Frankenstein_  on the counter and looked at him. "I managed to keep it dry. Remember? I'm sorry it took me so long to bring it to you. I think you'll enjoy it and it is a good way to pass the time when you're not busy."

Toby stared at her in wonder as she spoke and then lowered his gaze to the book. He took it and began to flip through it gingerly. It looked intimidating for him but he was sure he could get through it. "Thank you, Miss Marsden," he said, smiling graciously at her. "I will take good care of it. When shall I return it to you?"

Belle shook her head. "Take your time. Philip won't notice that it's gone."

Toby made a face. "Ah. Yes, I forgot you did mention you took it from his office when you read it. I'll take good care of it. I don't want to give him another reason to dislike me."

A sigh escaped Belle. "Mr. Ragg, I apologize for his behavior during the outing. I know he treated you fine but he is really a much kinder man than he appears to be."

"I understand," Toby said. "It's because of all the stories, isn't it?"

Belle glanced at him nervously. "... Yes. He believes them, I know."

"Do  _you_ believe them?"

"I… I don't know. There's so many stories or rumors, I should say, but I don't know what to believe. I don't believe you were involved in it. You were just a child, weren't you?"

Toby felt his heart began to pound nervously. This was not the conversation he was expecting to have today. "I was a child, yes," he began. "And I wasn't directly involved with it."

"Involved with what?" Belle asked.

"All of it."

"All of what, Mr. Ragg? All of what?" Belle was pleading for an answer. "Are the stories all true?"

"I can't discuss this with you," Toby said to her. He took the book under his arm and walked into the next room, hoping that somehow, that would make her not ask any more questions. Belle followed him, however, and realized that she was now in a quaint sitting room. She looked around and saw an armchair and settee, both seemed aged but were taken care of. There was a fireplace, rug, small table, and an overall warm feeling to the room. She watched as Toby placed the book on the armchair.

"What a lovely room," she said quietly.

"Thank you," Toby said. He sighed and went over to the fireplace. "Miss Marsden-"

"You may call me Belle," she told him.

"Belle," he repeated quietly. "You may call me Tobias. Toby, actually."

Belle smiled softly. "Such a youthful name. Toby, I am only curious. Though, I understand. You do not need to tell me what is true and what isn't. It isn't my business but just know that my opinion of you won't change. I know people can move on from the past and become better people and that's how I see you as."

_But you don't even know me_. Toby stared at her. He knew this conversation should not be held but now, here was this young woman full of kindness and she intrigued him as he intrigued her. Her opinion of him would change, surely, and she would be the only soul who would know the full truth. That is if he told her the  _entire_  truth. "I'll tell you everything soon."

"When?"

"The next time I see you."

Belle remained silent for a moment.

"Really, I'll tell you everything, just not now," Toby told her. "I trust you, Belle."

"You don't have to but thank you," Belle said and looked back towards the other room. "I have to return to my sister. She's in the dress shop nearby." She walked back to the front of the shop and Toby slowly followed. "I'll be back soon. I'm not exactly sure of when."

"That's fine," Toby told her. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't come back at all. "Be safe, Belle," he said as he opened the door for her.

"Thank you. You too." She pulled her hood back over her head and swiftly walked away in the rain without looking back at him.

Toby closed the door quite heavily and he loudly sighed. Pandora's box had now been opened. He could not take back what he said and he began to despise himself for promising to tell her anything. He would tell her, though, but not everything, he decided. He would wait for her to return to him but he secretly hoped that she would be smart and keep away for as long as possible.


	4. A Night of Spirits

Days later, Belle was seated at her window in her aunt’s home watching the carriages pass by. Tonight, her aunt was at a dinner party and not expected to return early, which led Belle to have no company other than herself. Her sister and Philip were not home tonight either. Belle sighed as she left the window and wandered around the sitting room. Many times over she had contemplated returning to Tobias Ragg’s shop to see him and learn more about him but she also knew that if she were to go alone, she risked being seen by someone and her family finding out. Tonight had seemed to be the perfect opportunity for her to venture out alone, however. She had never been alone completely with a man before for lengthy periods of time, other than her brother-in-law of course. She trusted Toby but she was aware that she did not know him completely. She was curious enough and thought him far too kind to put her in any compromising situation, however, she knew she may be being a bit too naive. 

Half an hour had passed and Belle knew she had to leave the house. She looked at the grandfather clock in the living room; it was almost time for Toby to close up shop. By the time she reached the shop, the two would have the opportunity to speak with the other alone. She raced up the stairs and to her bedroom. She grabbed her cloak and put it on, unaware that she was being watched. When she looked up to see herself in her vanity mirror, she saw that someone was staring at her from the doorway. She jumped, startled by the unexpected sight and turned around. “Beth!”

“I’m sorry, Miss!” Beth, her aunt’s maid, said. “I didn’t know you were going out.” 

“You frightened me, that’s all,” Belle said, walking over to her. “Ah, yes, I decided I’m going to go to see my sister.” As soon as the lie left her lips, she felt a pang of guilt and anxiety.

“Oh, how lovely,” Beth beamed, stepping aside for her. “Shall I go with you, Miss? I don’t think your aunt would appreciate you traveling alone at the time of night.” 

Belle looked at her and shook her head. “No, no, you must stay. Who will tell my aunt that I left if she were to return home before I did?”

“Oh, you’re right, Miss. Do you intend to be out very late?”

Belle began to descend the staircase. “No, I hope to return before my aunt does,” she told her. She would be sure to keep track of the time while she was talking to Toby. She expected the conversation would take no longer than an hour, allowing her to return before her aunt so she would not have to even know of her whereabouts. 

“Yes, Miss.” Beth followed her to the door and opened it for her. “Safe travels, Miss.”

Belle stepped out of the house and slid her gloves on. “Thank you, Beth. Good night.” She then walked into the dark dimly lit street away from the house and into the unknown. She kept her head low as she walked until she found a hansom to take her to Fleet Street. 

 

"Once again Mr. Ragg, dinner was beyond satisfactory," the old man said as he shook Toby's hand and left money on the table. 

Toby smiled graciously. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Simons. Do tell the Mrs. I said hello.” 

"That I shall do. Goodbye!” Mr. Simons said as he left through the side gate. Toby waved and then collected the money he left. He then went back to tending to his remaining customers, which were quite a few.  It had been a surprisingly very busy Sunday evening as past customers and new ones came from all over London to try a pie. Toby enjoyed the constant praise of the food after his customers were served. He felt proud of himself and knew that his reputation would finally change for the better. Every now and again, as he cleared a table, he could overhear his customers whispering to each other about the upstairs barber shop and how they wish they could go up and see the room for themselves. Toby made sure to keep a close eye on the stairs throughout the evening as that was now his private room and not a free spectacle for all to go in to feed their curiosities.

Time passed and once that wave of customers left, Toby closed up the shop for the night. He went in and out of the shop, cleaning up and putting away dishes, which was a tiring task. Once he was finished, he walked out of the shop and up the side stairs to his bedroom. He unlocked the door and entered quickly so as to light the chamber lamp. He didn’t particularly enjoy being in that room in complete darkness, so he always lit the lamps as quickly as possible. In the darkness, the room felt cold, as though lingering spirits were surrounding him, but when the lamps were lit, Toby felt at peace. 

He walked over to the window and looked out into the night. He watched as two lovers walked huddled together under the light of the moon before getting into a carriage. He wondered if he would ever feel the way that they did. He had never been in love and had never known true love. His thoughts suddenly wandered to Belle Marsden. She had been at the shop two days prior and he had promised he would tell her everything,  _ almost  _ everything, but she had not returned. Would she ever? He wondered if he had frightened her away since he essentially told her the rumors were true. He wasn't completely certain as to what she had thought of him at this point but he hoped that she saw him as a friend, at least. 

Toby had been on his feet all day and decided he should attempt to get some sleep, but as he began closing the curtain, he saw someone get out from a hansom and dart across the street. He watched the cloaked person approach the pie shop and peek in through the windows.  _ Is that… her?  _ He closed the curtains and ran out of the room and down the stairs. 

Belle was lightly knocking at the door of the shop and peeking in through the windows. She saw a shadow within, which must have been Toby, but it would not move toward the door.  _ Is that him?   _ She thought.  _ Why is he staring at me instead of opening the door?  _

“We’re closed.” She heard a familiar voice say. She turned and saw Toby leaning over the side gate. He smiled once he saw that it was her. “Hello, Belle. What brings you here at this house?”

“Hello,” Belle said and walked over to the gate. The two faced each other but Toby did not open the gate. “I was alone at home and decided to see you. I know it’s very improper but I’m simply here to talk. You promised, remember? That is if you’re comfortable…” 

Toby kept his hand on the gate and looked at her. “Well, it  _ is  _ improper and very late…” 

“You'd turn away a young lady seeking shelter at this hour of the night?” Belle teased.

Toby grinned and sighed loudly. “I suppose I have no choice,” he chuckled. “Being that I am such a kind man, I shall allow you to come in. Wait here," Toby smiled and went inside the shop to open the door.  _ What am I doing?  _ He would have to talk to her now but the idea of her choosing to leave her home to see him excited him. He only hoped she would not be discovered, ruining any chance of them furthering their relationship. 

Belle waited for him eagerly outside of the door. She kept her head low so that anyone passing by would not be able to see her but no one had passed by since she had arrived at Fleet Street. She was glad, however, for if someone had seen a mysterious woman visiting Tobias Ragg at this house, gossip was bound to ensue. 

After taking a deep breath, Toby opened the door for her and she immediately entered. She removed her hood, revealing her neatly brushed hair, resting past her shoulders. “I thought I had seen you in here when I knocked.” 

Toby closed the door and locked it. “In here? No, I was upstairs.” He began to light the lamps and looked at her in confusion. 

“Yes, I realize that now,” Belle said as she watched him. “I saw a shadow in here but it was still so it couldn’t have been mine. I thought it was you. Perhaps it was my own shadow, after all.” 

Toby glanced up at her with a raised brow. “Perhaps.” He took a chamber lamp in his hand and walked past her and into the sitting room. “Come. Make yourself comfortable.” 

“Thank you.” Belle followed closely behind him. She made her way to an armchair and removed her cloak, which Toby took from her and hung it on his coat rack. She watched him and pulled her gloves off. “Was the shop busy today?” She asked as she began to comb her fingers through her pale blonde hair.

“Very,” Toby answered. “Seeing the customers coming back and new customers coming for the first time tells me I’m doing something right.” 

Belle smiled. “Of course you are. You’re very charming and your pies are delicious.” 

“Thank you. Would you like one?” Toby asked. 

“A pie? Oh, no, thank you.”

“Something to drink then?”

“Yes, a drink would be nice,” Belle said to him. 

Toby nodded and walked to the front of the shop. “You didn’t have anyone at home to keep you company?” 

“No, my aunt went to a dinner party,” Belle said in a louder tone so that he could hear her. She glanced down at the table in front of her and saw the copy of  _ Frankenstein  _ she had lent to him. She picked up the book and gently flipped through the pages. “Have you been reading this book?” 

“To tell the truth, I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had the chance, but I’ll get to it,” Toby said as he poured them each a glass of gin. He knew he shouldn’t serve it to her but he was merely curious if she would take it. He didn’t want to open up a bottle of something more expensive if she was going to be satisfied with this.

“Oh, don’t rush it,” Belle said as she set it back down. “I apologize for showing up at this hour. You must be exhausted.” 

Toby entered the room with two glasses. “I am tired but I’d really rather be in your company.” 

Belle smiled to herself and took a glass as he handed it to her. “What’s this?” She asked as she looked into the glass. 

“Gin,” Toby said. “Would you like something else?”

“No, no, this is fine.” Belle held the cup close to herself and took a small sip. She coughed as the small sip she took warmed her throat. 

Toby glanced at her and chuckled, taking his own sip. He made his way to the other armchair and sat down with a sigh. “Before I tell you about myself,” he began, “I want to know more about you.”

Belle cleared her throat. “About me?” She asked. “Well, it’s not all happy things.” 

Toby glanced and her and saw the frown she now had. He began to regret his wanting to know about her. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, it’s alright,” Belle assured him and took another small sip from her class. “As I told you, I live with my aunt, Elizabeth. The reason why I live with her is that my father and mother have both passed away.” 

Toby cast his eyes downward at the floor. Perhaps he shouldn’t have told her to talk. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you,” Belle sighed. “My mother died when I was very young so I really don't have any memory of her, unfortunately. Vivian does. My father was a successful man but he became so focused on his work after my mother died. My aunt said work was his distraction from his grief. She came to live with us since she was unmarried and my sister and I were young and frequently alone. Aunt Elizabeth and father never really got along with one another since she thought she knew what was best for him. She wanted him to remarry but he didn’t want to.” 

Toby began to watch her again as she spoke, her eyes focused on her hands and her head slightly tilted downward as though the sadness of the memories were all returning to her. He remained silent as she spoke. She then looked up at him and continued. “Ten years ago, the day before my ninth birthday, my father surprised me. He told me that he was going to go out and get me something special after he takes care of some other errands. Then we would spend the day together. I was beyond happy and eager for when he would come home. I just wanted to be with him…”, Belle's voice trailed off and set her glass down on the table.

"And then what happened?" Toby asked gently.

"The morning went by very quickly and then the afternoon came and went and soon it was early evening. He hadn't returned. My aunt, sister, and I had dinner without him and then my aunt decided to find an officer to help her look for him. She sent Vivian and me to bed. We were extremely worried and I remember crying myself to sleep that night. My aunt kept her composure but I saw worry all over her face. She and the officer returned early the next morning without my father. He was missing… Still missing.” Sadness filled her voice. “He wouldn’t have left us and ran off elsewhere. My aunt believes he was killed since his body was never found. He is gone, though, and he’ll never come back.”  

Toby leaned closer to her and took her hand. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and then let go. “I’m sure he’s very proud of the woman you’ve become.” 

Belle looked at him and smiled softly. “Thank you. I do hope so.” She cleared her throat and let out a sigh. “My sister and I continued to live with my aunt. Vivian met Philip and they were married two years ago and since then I’ve lived alone with Aunt Elizabeth. She is quite the socialite. Always out at parties and the theatre. I enjoy those things as well but sometimes I’d just rather be home, though it does grow lonely. She wants me to find a husband but I’m content with life at the moment. All the men she introduces me to are stuffy.” 

Toby laughed. “Stuffy? Lords and Barons?” 

“Practically,” Belle smirked and rolled her eyes. “Titles don’t mean anything to me. I want to be with someone I love. Life is far too short to not experience true love. If such a thing exists.” 

Toby hesitated for a moment. “I… I wouldn’t know. I should hope it exists.”  Their gazes met and the two remained silent until Belle suddenly looked away and reached for her glass. 

“Are you going to tell me about yourself now?” 

Toby suddenly grew nervous. He took a generous sip of gin and nodded. This was the moment. “Well… I suppose I’ll start at the beginning.” He began his story when he was a young orphan slaving away in a workhouse day and night. He spoke briefly of the cruel treatment he and the other children suffered and how little or rarely they were paid. It was a hellish life. Years later, Adolfo Pirelli came by the workhouse in search of a hardworking boy in search of adventure. By some miracle, Toby had been chosen but as soon as he left with Pirelli, his treatment was no better than what he had received in the workhouse. He had been able to travel with the fraud and see much of Europe but the success Pirelli obtained was from lies. Toby, however, formed a strong loyalty to Pirelli, for the treatment he received wasn’t always terrible. He then told Belle of how he ended up staying at the pie shop and becoming Mrs. Lovett’s assistant. He loved her as a mother and would do anything for her. 

So far, Belle had not interrupted him. She kept her blue eyes locked on him as he spoke. Her brows would furrow from time to time in sadness, confusion, and shock as he told her of his life as a young boy. Once he began to speak about Sweeney Todd, her curiosity piqued. She leaned in slightly towards him and listened.  He told her about his belief that Todd murdered Pirelli and of the other murders he committed upstairs. He left out the gruesome details, of course, and even told her about the human pies. Belle looked horrified but he assured her that the meat grinder was no longer in the bakehouse and that he had all new equipment. He protected Mrs. Lovett’s reputation, telling Belle that she had fallen in love with Todd and that she had been following his plans blindly. Belle herself did not believe this but remained silent. 

Toby told her about the final night where it all came to an end in the bakehouse. He did, however, purposefully neglect to tell her that he was the one who had killed Sweeney Todd. He would never want her to know that he had killed, though he believed it was justified. Instead, he told her that Todd had killed himself after throwing Mrs. Lovett into the oven and that he had seen everything as he hid. 

The morning after, officers came to the bakehouse. They recognized Toby wandering the street and took him to the madhouse. He had not put up a fight. He did not tell her about his violent outbursts during his time at the madhouse and how hysterical he was. He simply told her that he had no appetite, was hopeless, and had frequent night terrors about that night, which was true. He had taught himself how to read and write, not too well, but enough to get himself by. He had been a helpless boy of fourteen years who had spent ten years surrounded by people who made him seem sane. 

Finally, he told her of the day he was released from the madhouse: a new man with new hopes and dreams that had come true because of his hard work. This inspiring conclusion to his story brought a small smile to Belle’s face but it vanished quickly as she was still relaying what had been previously said by Toby in her mind. Toby no longer spoke once he was finished. He took another sip of gin and waited for Belle to respond. 

Belle was feeling overwhelmed but remain calm and collected. She felt anger, sadness, shock, and horror. The poor man before her had endured so much but he had pulled through. He was not dangerous nor did he seem angry at the past. Never in her mind could she have fathomed the terrible deeds that Sweeney Todd did. The murders, the human pies! It was all too horrifying to be true, but here she was, in the place where it all happened. She felt ill. 

“Toby…” She began. “I’m… speechless, really. I cannot believe that you’ve had to endure such terrible things throughout your life. It’s truly heartbreaking.” Her gentle voice brought comfort to Toby and he nodded at her in thanks. 

“I was too damn noisy for my own good.”

“No, you had no idea what was going on here. Mr. Todd is most definitely paying for what he has done, that evil man,” she said with a glare. She quickly glanced around the room, almost seemingly paranoid. Philip was right, it was eerie being in the shop now that she knew the truth. She turned back to Toby. “You did nothing wrong and did not deserve to be locked up in that madhouse. I’m relieved that you did not go insane in there.” 

“As am I,” Toby said. “Thank you for not being frightened of me for that.” 

“I’m not frightened of you. I’m heartbroken for you but I see that you haven’t let the past traumatic events hinder your dreams for success and happiness.” 

Toby smiled at her kind words. “Thank you, Belle. I wish more people were as understanding as you are.” 

“Thank you,” she said, leaning over and patting his hand comfortingly. “Wouldn't you want to leave this place?” She asked. “You should start new elsewhere. The success of the shop will follow.” 

Toby leaned back in the armchair. “Maybe someday. Everything is perfectly set up for me here and I quite like it. I’ve learned to just keep myself distracted. I can enter the bakehouse freely without thinking about that night.” 

Belle hoped he was being truthful. “I don’t understand how you do it. I wouldn’t be able to. Even now, I feel strange being here.” 

“Don’t,” Toby told her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of here. I’m with you and you’re safe with me.” 

“But don’t you ever feel afraid being here alone?” 

“... Sometimes.” Toby confessed. “But I’m not afraid right now because I have someone else here with me. I’m happy you’re here, Belle.”

Belle responded to him with a smile and folded her hands in her lap. “Thank you for trusting me. I swear I will not breathe a word to anyone.”

Toby stood from the armchair. “I trust you.” He finished his glass of gin and let out a satisfied “ah.” “Would you like some more?” 

“More?” Belle glanced at her glass, which was not empty. “I haven’t finished this glass yet but I suppose.” 

“I’ll go get the bottle.” Toby quickly left the room and soon cupboards and glasses clinking sounded from the next room. Belle was suddenly aware of the ticking of the clock and looked at it. An hour had passed by already. She promised herself that she would leave before midnight so that she can return home before her aunt. 

Toby returned to the room with the gin bottle and poured a generous amount into his and Belle’s glasses. “Be careful, this puts me to sleep.” 

Belle giggled. “Well, I won’t be having all of it. Shall we make a toast?” 

“A toast? Yes, let’s!” Toby said excitedly. He raised his glass high in the air. “I’ll say the toast.” 

“Alright.” Belle stood and held her glass up too. She watched him with a smile. “Go on.” 

"To gin and friendship!” Toby cheered.

"To gin and friendship!" Belle repeated giggling. The pair lowered their glasses and gently clinked them together. Tony grinned and took a rather large gulp from his glass. Belle decided to do the same, feeling brave. She quickly raised the glass to her lips and took a giant gulp. That was a rather bad idea because it nearly caused her to choke.

"Are you alright?" Toby asked, laughing. 

Belle's eyes were watering and her face was red as she fanned herself with her hand. "Oh, I'm fine," she replied with a hoarse voice. She plopped back down into the armchair. “Let’s talk about happier things.” 

“Happier things?” Toby sat down and marveled at his glass of gin. “Happier things.” He repeated. “I think you’re better suited for that than I am.” 

“Am I? Let’s see.” Belle leaned back in the armchair and gazed at the fireplace. “I can tell you all of the mischief Vivian and I caused when we were children. My poor aunt.” 

“I’d love to hear that,” Toby chuckled. 

And so, the two became lost in a whirlwind of laughter and stories. Toby even chimed in with stories of when he had caused mischief in the workhouse or even with Pirelli. They felt comfortable with one another and as though they could be like this for forever. As the evening went on and more and more gin was had, the two began to lose track of time. The constant ticking of the clock had faded away and Belle’s now clouded mind was solely focused on what her or what Toby was saying, rather than her needing to return to her home. Toby lost in gin and his exhaustion did not even bother to check the time.

It was after midnight and Belle was slouched in her chair, telling another story she was nearly finished with. She had never felt so giddy. She was not sure of how long she and Toby had been talking, but she knew she was having a wonderful time. “And do you want to know what I did after she tricked me, Toby?” She asked with a grin and soft giggle. No answer."Tooooby?" Her speech was slurred and slow. Still, he did not answer. She frowned and slowly propped herself up and rolled over onto the arm of the chair to face him. To her surprise, Toby had fallen asleep in his chair with the bottle of gin slowly slipping out of his hand. How long had she been talking to herself? She crossed her arms on the arm of the chair and rested her chin on them. She watched him as he breathed lightly, a snore escaping him from time to time, which amused her. His hair was a mess and his shirt still had a spot that was soaked from when he spilled his cup of gin after laughing too heartily earlier that evening. As she watched him, she realized there was something beautiful about him. As a man of twenty-four years, he still appeared youthful but also worn from years of trauma.  Within the few short hours that she had spent with him, Belle heart began to stir for him and it was a feeling she had never felt before. She sighed softly and glanced down at his hand to take the bottle from him before it dropped to the floor. She peered inside the bottle with one eye and drank the last remaining drops. 

She was not tired but she knew she should get some sleep. She had completely forgotten about home and her aunt, for that all seemed to be in a different world than the one she was in now. Clumsily, she positioned herself to lie down in the armchair. As she rested her head on her arm, she stared at the dim flame of the lantern resting on the table before her. The flame danced slowly before her eyes as she watched. Everything Toby had told her was returning to her now; the murders, the madhouse, everything. She tried pushing the thoughts out of her mind but suddenly, she heard a creak from above.

She rolled onto her back slowly, looking up at the ceiling above her in confusion. All that she heard now was Toby’s breathing. Then, it happened again. A creak followed by what sounded like a footstep. She sat up quickly, holding her head in the process. “Toby?” She called out quietly though he did not stir. She listened again for a few moments but now there was nothing but silence. Had she been imagining things? Perhaps it was a creak that happens regularly due to the shop’s age. In her intoxicated state, however, Belle felt curious. Stupid really, she knew, but nevertheless curious. The stories frightened her but she could not help herself to have a look around the shop and even the upstairs for herself. 

She quietly lifted herself from the chair, almost falling over in the process. She took the lantern in her hand and glanced back at Toby, who was sleeping peacefully, before tip-toeing out of the room. She staggered a bit but remained quiet. She passed by the front of the shop, glancing at her reflecting in the window for some sense of reassurance. She placed her hand on the side door that led to the gated patio, where all the tables where. The door had been unlocked from when Toby had come through it earlier that evening to let her in. She opened the door slowly and stepped out, leaving it open behind her.

The cold night air filled her lungs and she glanced up at the side staircase. She knew that beyond those steps was the mad barber’s room. “Just a peak,” she whispered to herself. She lifted her skirts slightly with her free hand and began to walk up the stairs. With each step she took, her she felt as though she were floating and a sudden lightheadedness began to come through, but she ignored it. 

When she reached the top of steps, she noticed that the door was ajar. With a gentle push, the door opened and revealed the room to her.  _T_ _ he mad barber’s room _ . She did not understand how Toby could feel unafraid of making the room his own despite what had happened in here.

She entered the room slowly, closing the door behind her. She held the lantern out and away from her but she did not realize it had gone out. The room was filled with moonlight but she kept the lantern in her hand. As her eyes adjusted to the moonlit darkness, she began to walk about the room. She saw Toby's bed on the far end of the room and on the table next to his bed were was a candle, that appeared to have just been blown out. As she watched the smoke linger around it, she felt a chill down her spine. 

Belle looked behind her and saw a chair near the window. As she neared it, she realized that it must have been a barber’s chair. It was placed in front of a station with mirrors and drawers. Absentmindedly, she sat in the chair, surprised at how comfortable it was. She sat in it for a while and before she could doze off into sleep, it suddenly dawned on her that this may have been Todd’s original chair. In horror, she left the chair and instead went to the barber station next to it. She opened drawers but there was nothing of interest in them and most were empty. There was something that caught her eye in the last drawer she opened, however. She pulled the drawer out further and saw something wrapped in a dark cloth. Swaying slightly, she picked it up and unfolded the cloth. It was a barber knife, silver with a detailed handle. "How interesting," she said out loud as she lifted the blade. Her fingers lightly traced the handle as she saw how the blade shone. She looked up at her reflection in the mirror and saw the knife shimmering in her hand.

As she gazed at the knife through the reflection, she noticed something peculiar behind her in the corner of the room. She squinted and leaned forward closer to the mirror and gasped as she saw what resembled the figure she had seen earlier that evening within the shop when she had arrived. The dark figure slowly began drifting. Belle suddenly turned around but it had vanished. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears. She remained as still as she could and scanned the room with her eyes. She saw nothing but felt a light tugging at her dress behind her. With a yelp, she threw herself away from the vanity and backed into the chair, dropping the knife. She was breathing heavily now and her hand was stinging. She felt a wetness slide down from the palm of her hand and down her arm. Holding her arm up to the window, she saw that her palm was sliced open and blood was ticking down her arm. An extreme lightheadedness began to overcome her and she began to feel dizzy. Weak, she held onto the barber chair for support. The room began to blur and she felt as though she might faint but she knew she had to leave the room and return to Toby.  

Belle slowed her breaths and let go of the chair. She turned towards the door and began walking but suddenly froze. She felt eyes on her.  Someone  was watching her. It was an immense feeling of discomfort and fear but she could not run. Her fear and intoxication had left her unable to bolt for the door. She suddenly felt lost and shut her eyes tightly. Soon, she felt hot breaths against her neck. She gasped in fear and began to tremble as she then heard footsteps surrounding her.  _ This is only a nightmare, it’s only a nightmare! _ She kept her eyes shut tightly and began to pray silently.

Something cold, a hand perhaps, caressed her face and she slowly began to open her eyes. As she saw what was standing before her, her eyes widened in pure horror unable to look away. A ghost - no, a demon, stood before her, head drooped to one side. The figure’s throat had been slit and its eyes were hollowed. The demon before her began inching towards her. Her feet felt heavy, as though she had been anchored in place. It stared at her and she stared back at it, paralyzed in fear. She was shaking violently now and opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. The figure began to smile at her, as though rejoicing in her helpless state, and it was the most horrifying sight she had ever seen. Not even in her worst nightmares had she ever seen something so hideous and so hellish. 

Finally, Belle was able to scream. “Get away!” She screamed as her eyelids began to grow heavy. The figure before her became blurred and she felt herself sway. Despite her screams, the hollowed eyes and smile remained fixated on her and suddenly, everything faded to darkness. 


	5. The Invitation

Belle awoke the next morning in the chair that she was seated in during her evening with Toby. She groaned softly as she came to her sense and felt a faint throbbing throughout her head. She could see it was morning due to the light from the window, or at least she had hoped it was only morning and not the afternoon. She turned away from the light and sighed. With a yawn, she slowly sat up and gently rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She noticed that her hand was bandaged and stared at it in confusion for a few moments. Suddenly, pieces of what had happened to her began to become clear in her memory. _So last night was not a dream…_

She furrowed her brows and anxiously looked around the room. She saw the empty bottle of gin on the floor but not Toby. She was alone. "Toby?" She called out. Silence. Had Toby heard her screams from upstairs during the night? Clearly, he had gone up at some point when he noticed she was gone, that would explain why she was back downstairs and in this chair, or had it truly all been a nightmare.

She was about to call out for Toby again, but he entered the room before she could do so. "Good morning," Toby greeted as he entered the room. He looked exhausted; Belle was glad she had no mirror to see how exhausted she herself looked.

"I have quite a headache," Toby admitted and blinked hard.

"Ah, I do too somewhat," Belle said quietly, remembering all the gin the two had had the night before. “How foolish I must have looked and still looked.”

Toby glanced at her and shook his head. “I could never think you were foolish, and you look lovely, as always.”

Belle felt herself blush in response but then she was brought back to the question that she needed an answer to. “I must ask” she began, “what happened to me? I don’t think it was a dream but it… it felt as though I were… oh, I don’t know. Did you find me upstairs? Did I faint?”

As she spoke, Toby sat down in the seat across from her and stared at her. The two were silent for a moment before he leaned forward a bit toward her. "I was going to ask you the same question. I don’t remember much but I remember talking to you and laughing and at one point I, ah, woke up. I saw the empty gin bottle and realized you were gone.” He winced from his headache and closed his eyes briefly. Belle leaned forward, as well, in concern.

“Toby, if you don’t feel well perhaps you should lie down.”

“No, no, I’m fine. I’m just trying to remember that’s all.” He opened his eyes. “Anyway, you were gone and I got myself up and looked around for you. I thought you maybe had gone home but it was so late, you would have been far too dangerous. Then, I heard a loud thump upstairs and somehow, got myself up there and I found you. You were on the floor and your hand was bleeding. I bandaged it up for you,” Toby said, his eyes lowering to her hand resting on her lap. Belle looked down at her bandaged hand.

“Yes, thank you,” she said. “I don’t quite remember how this happened. I think I was cut by something by accident.”

“Well,” Toby began, “There was a bloodied barber knife on the floor near you. I bandaged your hand upstairs and then when I was feeling somewhat better, I brought you back downstairs.”

“Thank you, again,” Belle said to him. He said nothing and Belle could feel his eyes on her. “I don't remember all that happened and I’m not sure how I ended upstairs, really,” she stated.

Toby glanced above. “Curiosity, perhaps.” He gave her a hard stare. “Am I correct?”

Belle crossed her arms and frowned. “Yes… and I’m sorry, Toby. I just somehow found myself upstairs and I, well, I supposed I was being too curious and found the barber knife and mishandled it.”

Toby’s eyes softened. “It’s alright, Belle. I shouldn’t be surprised. I told you the story and I can’t blame you for being curious about this place. I would be if I were you. There’s nothing here that’s very interesting, though. You must have fainted from your sliced hand; any deeper and that cut would have been very dangerous for your health. Lucky you didn’t hit your head when you fainted, as well.”

“Yes, that must have been why I fainted," Belle said quietly as she tried to remember what exactly it was that made her faint. "But, no, I really don’t believe it was because of that…" Belle added, still deep in thought. _There was someone… Something was there with me._

Toby shrugged and stood up, swaying slightly as he did. "At least you’re safe, that’s what important, isn’t it?”

Belle nodded. “Yes, it is.”

With a small smile, Toby walked over to her and held his hand out to her. “Come on, I have food waiting for us.”

Belle took his hand with her unbandaged one and stood up. "Oh, wonderful. Thank you! Maybe eating something will help me remember better."

The two sat together at the counter in the shopfront and split a meat pie. As they ate, Toby told her about how the pie was made and where he bought all his ingredients. Intrigued, Belle swore to keep his recipe a secret. As she ate, Toby watched her; she looked exhausted but not as exhausted as he did. She still had a radiance to her and managed to keep up with his wit and conversation. Toby wanted to tell her that she should be returning home but he didn’t want to be alone again without her company. However, if she were not to go home soon, there may be a chance she would not be allowed to leave on her own again.

Once they finished their meal, Toby gently reminded her of the time and a now worried Belle immediately left the counter to prepare herself to leave. “Oh, no, oh no, oh no!” She muttered to herself as she put her cloak on. “I really did not mean to stay the entire night. I hope my aunt isn't home or is still asleep. I'm so sorry to have intruded on you like this. I was only planning to stay for an hour or so last night.”

Toby helped her with her cloak, "Shall I accompany you home?”

“No, Toby, you mustn’t. You’re very busy here. Besides, if my aunt were to see you with me, she may do something horrible or say a few choice words to you that I would really prefer not to hear.”

“Oh?” Toby smirked. “Well, I really hope your aunt hasn’t noticed your absence. If anything it was my fault for keeping you here so long. I'm the one who brought out the gin, anyway," he chuckled softly. “Blame it on me.”

“Oh, Toby, I could ever blame you. Let’s just hope she hasn’t noticed,” Belle smiled and went to the door. She turned to him. “I truly enjoyed your company, Tobias."

"I truly enjoyed your company, too, Isabelle. You're quite funny," Toby teased. “You said some humorous things last night, at least, if I’m remembering correctly.”

Belle rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, I’m glad I don’t remember much of that! You’re quite funny too. I don't think I've ever laughed that much before in my entire life. I felt so alive!"

"And I felt the happiest I ever have been," Toby confessed, which caused Belle to stare at him in wonder. A smile spread across her face as Toby stared back at her. His gaze lowered to her smile and he wondered what it would be like kiss her. He felt his heart thumping in his chest to the beat of his pounding headache.

Belle noticed him staring so she glanced away slightly. "Thank you for everything, Toby," she said, almost in a whisper. “I hadn’t felt that happy in quite some time either. I do not regret staying here.”

Toby couldn't resist his feelings anymore; soon, both hands were on Belle's waist. He pulled her closer to himself and placed his lips on hers. Belle, wide-eyed and surprised at first, did not resist. She returned the kiss shyly and ran her un-bandaged hand through Toby’s hair while the other was placed gently on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and her heart seemed as if it were to soar. It was bold of the two of them and enough for Belle’s reputation to be shattered but Toby took caution to position them away from the window so that no one would be able to see them if they were to pass by and peek into the shop.

After a few breathtaking moments, the two pulled away and gazed at one another.

"I don't regret anything either," Toby said, almost breathlessly. He smiled and took a step away from her. The moment had been improper but Belle’s return of the kiss assured him that she felt the same way he did. Belle was blushing a deep red and let out a soft giggle almost in disbelief of the situation. She looked down at her hands, which were trembling slightly.

"Maybe I shall stop by tomorrow?" She asked in a high-pitched voice. She suddenly felt giddy, but she kept her composure.

"I'd like that,” Toby said and lifted her unbandaged hands to his lips. He gave her hand a gentle kiss and then placed his hand on the doorknob. “You should return home, I don't want your aunt to forbid you from leaving the house ever again," Toby said as he opened the door for her.

"My aunt? Oh! Yes, you're right. Goodbye, Toby," Belle smiled and walked out the door. She turned back to him and smiled before walking away. Toby watched her for a minute with a grin on his face before he closed the door. He merrily walked, practically skipped, back to the counter as happily as can be. Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. Looking up, he saw that it was Belle again. He shook his head and chuckled. Perhaps she had forgotten something. Swiftly, he went to the door and opened it. “Forgot something, have you?” He smirked.

"Toby!" She exclaimed and walked back into the shop.

"Yes?" Toby asked, wondering why her she suddenly seemed frazzled. Concerned, he closed the door and faced her. “What’s wrong?”

"I think I remember what caused me to faint," Belle began. The moment she had walked away from the shop, the horrifying demonic apparition she had seen during the night re-entered her mind and she remembered everything. "When I looked in the mirror, I-I saw a dark figure behind me and then it was standing before me. Its throat was sliced open and - oh, God, Toby, it was terrifying! He looked like the devil, himself! He was covered in blood and his eyes were like darkness and-!"

The happiness Toby had been feeling only moments before had vanished. Toby's heart almost stopped in fear from her words. "Are-are you sure?" He asked. “It must have been your imagination,” he chuckled nervously. “I’ve never seen or felt anything like that upstairs,” he lied.

Belle calmed herself and shook her head. "But if it was only my imagination, why did I feel him, it, whatever it is, breathing behind me?”

“Our imagination and fear can play tricks on the senses. My story about Mr. Todd must have really had an effect on you.”

Belle knew she must have looked insane with her ramblings about what she saw, but she refused to believe it was all simply her imagination. Perhaps most of it was, but she knew there was _something_ that made her feel the fear that she felt. “I didn’t know my imagination was capable of thinking of something so evil."

"Yes, we do tend to surprise ourselves," Toby muttered. He rubbed her shoulder for comfort. “We also had a lot of gin so, perhaps that caused you to hallucinate.”

“Yes, that must have been why,” Belle said, unconvinced. She gave him a reassuring smile. "Do not worry, Toby. You’re right, it must have been the story and the gin that affected me so. Now, I really must be going!" Belle said and turned to the door.

Toby nodded. "Tomorrow then?"

"Yes, tomorrow," Belle smiled. She leaned over and shyly gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then, she opened the door and quickly crossed the street.

Toby, unsteady from his headache and everything that just happened, watched her until she turned the corner. Once she was gone from his sight then, he quickly went out and upstairs to his room. Toby's breaths were short and quick and he ran up those steps as fast as he could. Once he was in his room, he locked the door behind him. _It can’t be._ He spun around to look at all angles of the room; no one. Toby was the only one in his room. _The mirror._ Toby went to the barber station and looked at his reflection in the mirror to see if he could see the figure that Belle had said she had seen. He only saw himself, thankfully.

"She was probably dreaming or hallucinating," he said out loud and placed a hand on his head in confusion. He wondered if she walked in her sleep; it was a common sight at the madhouse, but Belle was sane. Toby decided there was nothing to worry about. His head was aching even more now from worry so he decided to take a much-needed nap before opening up the shop. His sleep was not filled with peacefulness or Belle, though; instead, it was corrupt with the memory of the night ten years ago.

Belle walked home with what could be described as a spring in her step from hers and Toby’s kiss or she walked quickly with anxiety to get home because her frightening memories had become clearer. She knew what she saw but decided to agree with Toby in thinking it was a hallucination. She had let fear get the better of her and she only hoped she would never see something so terrifying again.

Belle peeked through the window of her aunt’s home and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the drawing room was empty. Her aunt, when home, was usually in the drawing room and the fact that she wasn't there at that moment assured Belle that she may have been out visiting a friend. Belle softly knocked on the door and waited for the maid, Beth, to open the door. She had hoped Beth did not say anything to her aunt when she came home, but when Beth opened the door, Belle’s hope was gone.

“Miss Belle, where have you been?” Beth asked worriedly as Belle entered through the door.

"I was out at my sister’s, remember?" Belle said in a hushed tone as she removed her cloak. "Is my aunt home?”

Before Beth could answer, Belle heard the unexpected voice.

"Yes, I've been home."

Belle froze in place and watched as her aunt descended the stairs. She had a cold expression on her face and was clearly upset with Belle. "You have some explaining to do. Come with me into the drawing room," she said, walking into the drawing room.

Beth gave Belle a look of sympathy and closed the front door. “Good luck, Miss.”

Belle said nothing and slowly walked into the drawing room and stood before her aunt, who was standing in front of the fireplace. Belle kept her head low and kept her bandaged hand hidden behind her back.

“Sit down,” she heard her aunt say. Belle did as she said. Aunt Elizabeth was a woman of understanding but when she was unhappy, she was _very_ unhappy. Belle only hoped she would believe her story of being at her sister’s home.

"I came home last night earlier than usual,” Aunt Elizabeth began. “You weren’t downstairs so I took a peek into your bedchamber to see if you had gone to bed, but you were gone. Beth said you had gone to see Vivian. The night grew later and you hadn’t come home so I sent Beth to Vivian’s to fetch you. The horror on their faces when you weren’t there! We were all worried sick because you were nowhere to be found and you have lied to us! We trusted that you would not be so stupid as to wander off at that hour of the night so we waited for you to return home all night. We thought something had happened to you, Isabelle! I was going to leave to see the police soon so that we can find you!”

Belle looked at her aunt. “I’m sorry,” she said meekly.

“Yes, you are sorry! Now tell me where you were last night, please.”

Belle remained silent as she thought of what she can possibly say. She hated to lie but she was unsure as to how her aunt would react to the truth. She stared down at her lap as her aunt began to walk toward where she was seated. Suddenly her aunt’s face was contorted into a look of disgust. "You reek of gin!" She gasped. "A young proper lady like you reeks of gin? Isabelle Eve Marsden! Look at me!"

Belle looked up at her aunt. “I can explain. I will tell you the truth.” And she would, but not the _entire_ truth.-

"Where were you? And your hand is bandaged! Tell me what happened to you,” her aunt demanded. “The truth would be quite refreshing," Aunt Elizabeth said as she held her hand over her forehead dramatically.

Belle straightened up in her seat and kept her head held high. "I apologize for lying to you and Beth about my whereabouts last night.” Her aunt scoffed but Belle continued. “In truth, I was at Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium and spent my evening with the owner, Tobias Ragg."

Her aunt had a horrified look on her face and gasped. “The boy that was in the madhouse?” She fanned herself. Belle continued her story. "He has become a dear friend of mine and I had visited him during the days before. I was alone here and quite honestly, I didn’t know what to do with myself. You weren't home so, I decided to go to see him. I know that is extremely improper but I just wanted to. I told Beth I was going to see my sister but that was because I didn’t want you to worry and I had no intention of staying longer than an hour-” “And he kept you there,” her aunt interrupted.

“No,” Belle sighed. “I very much enjoy his company. We know almost everything about each other by now and he is one of the kindest people I have ever met.”

“Isabelle, he spent his youth in a madhouse!”

“That wasn’t his fault,” Belle stated. “He is a fine man and is as sane as you and I. I had such a nice time with him. Yes, I did have gin but I didn’t mean to remain either and he didn’t mean to keep me there. Time just passed by so quickly and we were telling stories and laughing so much. Eventually, we both fell asleep. As I said, I had no intention to fall asleep or stay the entire night. I had only planned on going there for a short time to talk and then I was going to return home.”

“It’s disgustingly improper of you,” her aunt huffed. “You were alone in the dark night which is dangerous in itself, and you were alone with a strange man! So you wouldn’t have told me anything had you returned home before I did last night? What if something had happened to you? None of us would have known.”  

“Nothing happened to me, Aunt Elizabeth. I’m home, I’m safe, and I had a wonderful evening with a friend.”

Aunt Elizabeth muttered something to herself and looked at Belle’s hand. “And what happened to your hand?”

“I dropped a glass last night on accident,” Belle said. It disturbed her how easy it was for her to lie to her aunt.

Her aunt gawked at her in disbelief and began to pace before the fireplace. “And what if someone had seen you enter or leave the shop?”

“There wasn’t anyone around. I promise I was very careful to not be seen.”

Her aunt stopped pacing. "Are you sure you’re telling me the entire truth? He didn't try to put you in a compromising situation-” “No! He would never. He is very much a gentleman," Belle protested. “I trust him completely. He’s misunderstood. If everyone were to just give him a chance, they would see he has a kind soul.”

“Well, his reputation certainly isn’t a good one,” her aunt said as she looked at her niece.

“Yes, but it should be.” Belle stood and faced the window. “Again, I am very sorry for causing such worry for all of you.”

“Indeed but I am still angry with you,” her aunt said. “I am angry that you left the house and angry you allowed yourself to be vulnerable with this strange man. Everything about the situation is scandalous.”

Belle sighed. “Well don’t go telling anyone about it and all will be well.”

“What was that you just said?”

“Nothing.”

“Hm, well, go wash up. We’ll speak more about it all later.”

With a nod, Belle left the room and went upstairs to rid the smell of gin from herself.

“I’m sorry she found out, Miss Belle. I must not have looked very convincing when she asked if you were asleep last night,” Beth said as she tied the back of Belle’s dress as she sat at her small vanity.

“It’s not your fault, Beth,” Belle told her as she brushed her own damp hair. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone.”

“Why _did_ you go, Miss? Afterall, it was a late hour and you were alone with a man-” “A friend, Beth. He is a friend.”

“Of course, forgive me, Miss,” Belle said. A small smile crept across her face and she looked at Belle’s reflection. “Is he handsome?”

Belle’s eyes widened. “Beth!” She laughed. “Whoever are you talking about?”

“Miss, you’re blushing! I think you know very well.”

“Then yes,” Belle blushed. “I find him rather handsome. He is very kind, as well. Despite not knowing him for too long, I’ve become quite fond of him… And him of me.”

Suddenly, Belle heard her Aunt outside of her door. “Isabelle, come back downstairs. I would like to speak with you.”

Moments later, Belle was once again, seated in the drawing room with her aunt while Beth was preparing tea. “There, now you are more presentable after your bath,” her aunt said as Beth poured the tea.

“Yes, I feel much better.” Belle glanced down at her hand. “And I re-bandage my hand, as well.” Belle’s aunt said nothing in response. Belle was sure her aunt was going to continue to scold her or remind her of what a scandal the entire situation could have been if she had been seen. She hoped no one had come by while she was in her bath to tell her aunt that they had seen her leaving the shop. Wanting to distract herself from worry, Belle stirred her tea gently and stared at the cup in her hands. Then, her aunt began to speak.

“Isabelle, this Mr. Ragg, what is it about him that possessed you to go and see him?”

Belle chose her words carefully. “As I said before, he’s a friend. I enjoy his company. We met at the grand opening of his shop. He also accompanied Vivian, Philip, and I when we were out.”

“And does he care for you?”

Belle tilted her head in confusion at her aunt. “Care for me? Yes, I’d say so. He seems interested in knowing about me and always makes me feel welcome. I care for him, as well. As a matter of fact,” Belle paused and smiled to herself. “I quite like him. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. There’s something different about him.”

“I see,” her aunt said and gingerly sipped her tea. “Does he have a family?”

“No, he was an orphan…”

“Hm. What do your sister and her husband think of him?”

“I believe Vivian thinks Mr. Ragg is a kind man. Philip is suspicious of him but that’s only because of his past. Mr. Ragg is innocent.” Belle took a sip of her tea and nervously averted her aunt’s gaze, afraid of what question she would be asked next.

“He should join us for dinner.”

Belle could not believe what she had just heard. Immediately, she set her teacup down and cleared her throat. “Excuse me? Have him join us for dinner?”

“Yes,” her aunt said nonchalantly.

“Surely, you jest.”

“No, I’m quite serious. You’re taken by him for some reason so I must I think it only right that I meet the man who seems to have gained my niece’s affections.”

Belle sprang up in her seat. “Oh, Aunt Elizabeth! This is wonderful! Thank you!”

“Yes, do sit down. I am still quite upset with you,” her aunt said with a soft smile. Belle sat down happily and sipped her tea. With a sigh, she gazed out the window.

“I think Mr. Ragg would be glad to join us for dinner. When shall we invite him? I believe he closes the shop on Fridays.”

“Yes, it can be Friday. You are not leaving the house tomorrow, however. That is your punishment.”

Belle frowned. “I suppose that’s fair. How will he know?”

“I shall have a message sent to him.”

“Perfect,” Belle smiled. “Oh, Aunt Elizabeth, this is much too good to be true. I promise you are sure to like him.”

"I’m sure," Aunt Elizabeth muttered. “Now, please, drink your tea.”

Belle was quite surprised at her aunt’s idea of inviting Tobias Ragg to dinner. It was unexpected but Belle was relieved that she was willing to give him a chance. She knew it would be good for Toby, as well, to socialize with more people and have nice evening spent out of the shop. If her family accepted him completely, she would be beyond happy.

A storm began that evening as Belle lay in bed, trying to fall asleep. As tired as she was, the darkness began to play tricks on her mind. The bellowing thunder outside her window was not as frightening to her as the sudden thoughts in her head were. Once again, her mind wandered to the evil figure she had seen upstairs of the shop. She then recalled the terrible story of Sweeney Todd that Toby had told her the night before. The murders and the meat pies made her feel very uneasy but she assured herself that it was all in the past. Toby had nothing to do with any of it. She had only felt comfortable being with him and she knew she trusted him just as much as he seemed to trust her. She did not feel fear when she was with him but whatever was upstairs, hallucination or not, made her fearful. No matter, Toby did not seem to be fearful of the shop or the past events that had happened there.

Belle yawned and turned onto her side, facing the window. The rain pelted her window and the trees outside looked were like ghosts swaying in the wind. In the dark, Belle thought they look distorted monsters that ate people up in stories she used to hear on dark stormy nights when she was a child. Suddenly, the lightning outside crashed and formed a horrifying, distorted shadow on the wall in her bedroom. Belle to let out a frightened gasp and lept out of bed to pull the curtains closed. She did not want to tempt her imagination to think of anything more frightening than what she saw at Toby’s shop.

As soon as the curtains were closed, she ran back to bed and lay down. She turned away from the window and shut her eyes tightly. She felt like a young child, afraid of shadows and storms, but no one was there to comfort her, not a soul.

It had been two days since Toby had seen Belle.  She hadn't returned to him the previous day like she had promised but he was not upset with her for not coming to see him. Part of him was worried that he had frightened her away with his display of affection, or even his stories, and the other part of him was worried that her aunt had discovered her whereabouts. She may have forbidden her from ever seeing him again, which he truly hoped was not the case. Perhaps, she was truly frightened of what she thought she had seen in the shop. Toby had not wanted to tell her that he as well saw shadowy figures from the window, for he would either seem mad or she really would want nothing to do with him.

Later that morning, Toby was standing behind the counter reading the copy of _Frankenstein_ that Belle had lent him. The morning was slow and customers came and went randomly, so he decided to keep himself entertained as he waited for them. He had trouble focusing on the book, however, as his thoughts were more set on what could have possibly become of Belle. Suddenly, the door opened and a young woman came into the shop meekly.

"Hello, Miss,”  Toby said from behind the counter, closing the book. "May I help you with anything? Care for a pie?"

The woman shook head politely, "No, thank you, Mr. Ragg. I came to deliver a message, actually." Her hand fumbled through her coat pockets until she pulled out a letter. She placed it on the counter in front of Toby.

"Oh, thank you," Toby said as he took the letter. He had high hopes that it was from Belle. “Is this from Miss Marsden?”

“No, it’s from Mistress Marsden, her aunt. I am her maid and she wanted me to deliver this to you. I shall wait until you have finished reading so that I may give her your reply.” The young woman said. Toby was surprised. He looked down at the unopened letter before and immediately opened it.

“You can read it, yes?” She asked him. Toby nodded at her in response and she breathed a sigh of relief. “She was concerned that you could not even read it.”

“Well, I can,” Toby muttered and looked down at the words written in the neatest handwriting.

_Mr. Ragg,_

_It has been called to my attention that you and my niece had the gull to spend time with one another in the late hours unchaperoned. I am unsure as to how long this has been happening but it needs to cease at this very moment. I refuse to allow my niece to spend her days alone with a complete stranger whom I know nothing about._

Toby stopped reading and looked at the young woman. “She seems upset with her niece and me,” he said. He was unsure as to why he said it, perhaps he was trying to find some comfort for the anxiety he now felt.

“Oh, yes, she is,” the young woman responded with a small smile. Toby sighed. _Well, that was no help._ He continued to read the letter:

_However, I am willing to let her spend time with someone who I am well acquainted with. I believe my niece very much enjoys your company and I can't help but think you feel the same way. For this very reason, I am inviting you to spend this evening with us in our home. Dinner will begin promptly at 8 o'clock. I expect you no later or I will forbid you from joining us._

_~ Ms. Elizabeth Marsden_

“Yes,” Toby immediately said as he finished the letter. He was relieved and elated at the invitation. “Yes, I accept the invitation to dinner.”

The young woman smiled and nodded. “I shall tell her, then. I am sure Miss Marsden is eager about your response.”

“Tell her ‘thank you’ for the invitation, as well, please,” Toby said happily.

The young woman bowed slightly. “I will, Mr. Ragg.”

When she left the shop, Toby took the letter and went into the other room to re-read it. He could not believe it. What had Belle told her Aunt that made her want to invite him to their home for dinner? He set the letter down. Was he courting Belle? He hadn’t the slightest idea what he was doing but he knew his affections for Belle were real and he felt something for her that he had never felt before. He would have to truly impress at this dinner. If he made a good impression, he would surely have her aunt’s approval, Toby thought.

Once Toby closed up the shop for the day, he ran up to his room with the biggest grin on his face. When he was in his room, he began to ready himself to leave for dinner. He shaved the stubble from his face and got dressed for the evening. He decided to wear the grey coat and hat he had bought during his afternoon shopping with Belle and her family. He thought he looked exceptionally well put together as he looked at himself in the mirror. He also decided that on his way to their home, he would purchase a small bouquet of flowers to show his thanks for the invitation. He was sure to impress tonight.

Before Toby left, he took one last glance around his room. It was calm and quiet without a trace of any ghosts lurking within, just as he preferred. Once he locked the upstairs and the downstairs shop, he left to the Marsden home for dinner.


	6. The Dinner & The Dream

Belle Marsden was the epitome of impatience as she waited for the arrival of Tobias Ragg for dinner. In the drawing room, her eyes wandered from the ticking clock to the window. Her sister, Vivian, and brother-in-law, Philip, were present too, much to Belle's disapproval of them being invited. It was obvious that Philip did not care for Toby much and she did not want any conflict to arise while they were trying to have to a pleasant evening.

"Belle, stop staring out the window," Vivian said. "You'll frighten him away."

Aunt Elizabeth looked over at Belle and disapprovingly shook her head. "You look like a fool, Isabelle."

Belle glanced at her aunt and blushed. Taking her seat next to her, she sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so eager."

"It's because you're letting  _him_ into this house; anyone would be eager over that," Philip scoffed. Aunt Elizabeth waved Philip's words away and turned toward her niece.

"There's no reason to be eager, darling. He will arrive. You look lovely, as well. The dress suits you."

Belle smiled and looked down at the skirts of her dress. Her dress was a deep shade of blue the complimented her eyes and her hair was in a lovely updo with strands of curls falling on the sides of her face. "Thank you," she said.

"Oh, yes, very radiant!" Vivian smiled. "I'm sure Mr. Ragg will think so, as well."

Toby stood motionless in front of the Marsden's door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He had suddenly lost all confidence in himself and was now worried that he would not be able to impress Belle's family. He wondered if he should turn back and return to his shop but the moment the thought entered his mind, he heard the sound of laughter from inside the home. It was pleasing to the ear and to him, it sounded angelic. It was  _her_ laughter. The sound brought a smile to his face and a calmness came over him; he had to see her. After taking a deep breath, Toby slowly reached out to the door and knocked, prepared for whatever was to come.

The door was opened by a young woman Toby recognized as the maid. She had been the one to deliver him the invitation days prior. "Hello, Mr. Ragg," she greeted with a quick bow. "Do come in."

"Hello," Toby greeted as he stepped into the home. He took his hat off and the maid immediately took it from him to hang on a coat rack.

"They are all in the drawing room. I'll announce your arrival. Follow me," the maid told him as she began walking. Toby nodded and followed her slowly. He soon was in awe of the house. The wood interior and decor was like nothing he had ever seen before; he even noticed that the staircase railing had carvings of flowers all along the sides. Beautifully painted portraits hung on the walls of people that Toby did not seem to recognize, however, there was one portrait of two young girls that Toby recognized instantly as Belle and her sister. He smiled softly as he passed by it.

The maid stopped abruptly in front of a doorway and stepped in to announce Toby's arrival. "Mr. Tobias Ragg is here."

Belle shot up from her seat when she saw Toby standing next to Beth. She thought Toby looked incredibly handsome, perhaps he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. Aunt Elizabeth stood and immediately seemed to be studying Toby based on his appearance. He seemed to have taken effort in his appearance for the evening; his clothes seemed to be new and he was clean-shaven. He was not as she had imagined him to be at all. The young man standing before her did not seem to be someone who had spent the past ten years of his life in an asylum. "Thank you, Beth," Aunt Elizabeth said. "Mr. Ragg, welcome to my home."

"Thank you for inviting me. It's beautiful," Toby smiled. "Oh, and these are for you." He said, looking down at the bouquet of flowers.

"How lovely. Beth, find a vase for those, please," Aunt Elizabeth said. With a nod, Beth immediately left Toby's side to find a vase.

Once the flowers were taken from his hands, Toby went to Belle's aunt and kissed her hand with a slight bow. After, he went to Belle. He had wanted to run to her at that very moment and shower her with compliments on how beautiful she looked. He had common sense, though, and walked up to her, bowed slightly, and kissed her hand. "Hello, Miss Marsden," he said, wary about calling her by her first name. "You look beautiful."

Belle blushed. "Thank you. You look very handsome, Toby."

" _Ahem_!" Aunt Elizabeth cleared her throat and raised a brow at Belle.

"Oh, Mr. Ragg," Belle corrected when she heard her aunt's  _ahem_ of disapproval. She turned toward her sister and brother-in-law. "And of course, you remember my sister."

"Hello, Mr. Ragg," Vivian said as she went to Toby, who took her hand.

"Yes, hello, Mrs. Andrews." Toby placed a gentle kiss on Vivian's hand and then looked at her husband. He nodded at him and extended his hand out. "Hello, Mr. Andrews."

"Hello," Philip said unenthusiastically and shook his hand. He then placed his hand on the small of his wife's back. "It's time for dinner."

Aunt Elizabeth looked at the clock and then to Toby. "Yes, let's make our way to the dining room. Mr. Ragg, you shall accompany me. Come."

"Oh, yes," Toby answered and held his arm out to Belle's Aunt. The two walked together and Belle followed with a smile on her face. So far, all was going splendidly. She did not appreciate Philip's coldness toward Toby, however. She hoped that would change soon.

"So, Mr. Ragg, tell me, is business well?" Aunt Elizabeth asked Toby, who was seated across from her and next to Belle.

Toby finished cutting a slice of ham for himself and looked up at Aunt Elizabeth. "Business is wonderful. Customers from all over London come just to have one of my pies," he said proudly. Belle smiled at him and continued to eat her food.

Aunt Elizabeth took a sip from her glass. "I see, and what is your income like?"

Belle's knife skid across her plate, making an awful sound, as she cut a piece of ham. Vivian and Toby winced at the noise while Philip eyed her annoyedly. "Aunt Elizabeth, that is certainly not a question one should ask," Belle muttered.

"She may ask what she wishes," Philip said.

Brushing aside Belle's comment, Aunt Elizabeth continued to question Toby. "Well, Mr. Ragg?" She asked, waiting for his answer.

Toby, though becoming uncomfortable, answered confidently. "I make more than enough to get by. I am comfortable with my financial state."

Belle breathed a soft sigh of relief and slowly reached her hand over to Toby's hand under the table. Toby's face held an expression of surprise as he felt Belle's hand hold his own hand. The two gave each other reassuring squeezes before letting go and continuing their dinner.

"And where do you live?" Aunt Elizabeth continued. "I know your shop isn't too far from here."

"Actually, I live at my shop. I see the shop as my home," Toby simply stated.

Aunt Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror. "What?" She asked in utter disbelief. Belle stared at her plate as she now realized that dinner would tense from this moment onward, especially if Philip were to chime in.

"The shop is my home," Toby began. "The pie shop is downstairs along with the outdoor seating area. There's also another room which I like to think of as my own personal drawing room. My own bedroom is upstairs."

"I see…" Aunt Elizabeth muttered.

Belle noticed that Philip leaned forward in his seat and looked at her aunt. "Did you know, Aunt Elizabeth, that the upstairs of Mr. Ragg's pie shop used to be the barber shop of the infamous Sweeney Todd?"

As soon as the name left Philip's lips, Toby tensed up in his seat. He glared briefly at Philip before focusing his gaze on Elizabeth Marsden, curious as to how she would respond.

"Oh, I have heard some ghastly stories about that man," she said.

"Yes," Philip said with a nod. "And are you aware of what crimes Todd had committed in that upstairs shop where our guest sleeps pleasantly?"

"Philip." Vivian patted her husband's arm but Philip did not look at her. Belle furrowed her brows at her brother-in-law and leaned forward in her seat, as well.

"I-I don't understand the point you are trying to make, Mr. Andrews," Toby said to him, still as tense as before.

Philip smirked softly. "What I'm trying to say, Mr. Ragg, is that no person in their right mind - no  _sane_ person - would dare spend their nights in a room where horrendous murders took place. That would disturb anyone to the core. Furthermore, no sane person would return to a shop where the victims of Todd's crimes were turned into pies."

Vivian gasped in horror and Aunt Elizabeth set her fork down in disgust. Angered by Philip's words, Belle looked at Toby to give him words of comfort, but she said nothing as she watched his knuckles turn white from gripping the knife he held in his hand. His jaw was clenched and his dark eyes were fixated on Philip. Hesitantly, she gently caressed his arm, which startled Toby. He slowly set the knife down by his plate and composed himself. "You have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Andrews. Those are just rumors."

Belle watched Toby as he spoke more confidently than before. He had told her about the human pies but she was sworn to secrecy and she would never even dream of telling anyone she knew about that. The disclosure of that information would surely destroy Toby's reputation and the reputation of his shop, as well.

"Indeed," Aunt Elizabeth said almost nervously. "Please, Philip, why such vile conversation during dinner? Whoever created those rumors are truly the ones who need to be feared."

Vivian was visibly embarrassed by Philip's behavior but saw no use in scolding him further. "Even if the rumors were true," she said slowly, "Mr. Ragg was a victim of those circumstances and I'm sure he had nothing to do with any of it. He has been nothing but a gentleman since I've met him."

"He is a true gentleman," Belle added. "He has treated me with such kindness and he would never hurt anyone."

Toby was grateful for Vivian and Belle's words; he had no idea how their aunt saw him now but he hoped the words of her nieces would overpower any negative views she had on him now. "Thank you, ladies," Toby said to them. "I must admit that I sometimes do fear being alone in my shop but most of the time, I feel safe there. Todd is gone and though things unknown to me happened in the shop because I was a child, it's where I was treated with kindness for the first time in my life by Nellie Lovett. She had hopes for that shop and Todd destroyed it all for her. I'm carrying on her hopes for the continuation of the shop's success. It brings me joy to see the shop flooded with customers during the evening. I do it all for her and for the betterment of my life. Clearly, with my reputation, I wouldn't have a job right now since it seems I am so harshly judged by those who do not truly know me," he glanced at Philip for a moment as he said this and then looked at Elizabeth Marsden. "This is why I am so grateful for the friendship your niece, Ms. Marsden. She never once has judged me and treats me as though my past were not what it was. She makes me forget the horrors of the past and allows me to feel like a normal man living a normal life. She is truly what one would call a blessing in my life."

Belle stared down at her plate with a smile on her face. She was blushing madly at the boldness of Toby's words and her heart thumped in her chest. She could feel that she was positively enamored. Aunt Elizabeth, along with everyone else at the table, could see this as well. Philip said nothing and continued eating while Vivian held her hand over her heart with a smile on her face. Aunt Elizabeth tilted her head slightly at Toby, who was blushing, as well. "You have taken quite a liking to my niece, Mr. Ragg."

Toby nodded at her statement. "I have."

Aunt Elizabeth sighed but said nothing. She then glanced around to Vivian and Philip. "Well, no more of this Todd conversation. Tell me about the show you two saw at the theatre the other evening."

With that, Vivian was conversing non-stop and Toby was grateful for the subject change. He glanced at Belle with a look of concern. "Are you alright? Forgive me for being so bold."

Belle, smiling, shook her head lightly. "I'm alright and don't worry. I quite like when you're bold," she said quietly. "Are  _you_  alright? I'm sorry that my brother-in-law is such a brute. He said such horrible things and-"

"It's alright, Belle," Toby said to her. "He'll change his mind about me eventually."

"I hope so," Belle sighed. "Oh, Toby, I'm so happy to see you again. My aunt forbade me from returning to your shop this week."

"Did she? I had wondered if she had done that. I kept checking my windows to see if you were spying on me from outside. I know that's your favorite thing to do," Toby chuckled. Belle gasped and laughed softly.

"Tobias Ragg, I do not spy."

Elizabeth Marsden, bored with Vivian's talk of the theatre, watched Belle and Toby interact. They were chatting and laughing quietly with one another about Lord knows what. She could see that they felt a mutual attraction to one another but she wasn't sure if she approved of the idea of Isabelle ever marrying him if he were to ask. The idea made her uneasy not because of Toby's social status, living conditions, or his questionable past, though that certainly did not help. It was because she saw darkness in him. She was unsure as to why she felt this way but she felt in her heart that this Tobias Ragg was not as normal as he claimed to be. She was worried that her niece was getting herself involved in something that could be potentially dangerous but then again, she could be wrong. However, Toby had remained composed and polite throughout dinner and Elizabeth deemed her feelings to be paranoia. She could see that Tobias Ragg made her niece happy and he did not seem to be a dangerous man. She hoped, however, that she had not made a mistake by allowing this man into her home and perhaps eventually, her family.

"Well, I don't want to rush off and leave such lovely company but I'm afraid I have to return to the shop," Toby announced as he stood from his spot next to Belle in the drawing room following dinner.

Belle stood. "It was a wonderful evening, Toby,"

"Indeed," Aunt Elizabeth said as she stood from her seat. Vivian stood, as well. Philip stood reluctantly.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Ragg," Vivian smiled. "We hope you enjoyed yourself."

"I enjoyed myself very much. Thank you for everything," Toby said as he kissed her hand. He then went to Aunt Elizabeth and kissed her hand, as well. "Again, thank you for inviting me into your home."

"You're welcome, Mr. Ragg. Perhaps we shall see you again soon," she said to him.

"I hope so," Toby smiled. He then looked at Philip Andrews. The two simply nodded to one another and said nothing. Toby was unsure of what to say anyway since Philip had not apologized for his words at the dinner table.

When Toby approached Belle, he immediately took her hand and kissed it. "I noticed your hand is no longer bandaged," he said, gazing at the faded cut on her palm.

"Yes, it has begun to heal rather nicely," Belle said as she watched him. After she spoke, Toby's eyes met hers and the two stared at each other in silence. Her heart began to pound loudly and she could feel the eyes of her family on her, as well, so she gently pulled her hand away. "Have a good night, Toby. I hope you get home safely."

"Thank you," Toby said. "I shall see you soon."

Beth was waiting near the door with Toby's hat. As he took it from her and put it back on himself, she opened the front door for him. "Goodnight, Mr. Ragg."

"Goodnight," Toby said to her. As he glanced around the entrance to the home one last time, he stepped out and began to walk away from the house grinning like a fool. He was in love with Isabelle Marsden. So in love, in fact, that thought heard her voice saying his name with each step he took.

"Toby! Toby, wait!"

Toby turned around and to his surprise, he saw Belle standing in the doorway of her home, calling him back to her. He speedily returned to the home and stood before her. "Did I forget anything?" He asked. Belle said nothing and instead placed a quick gentle kiss on his lips.

"Yes, you forgot that," she smiled. Her aunt, sister, and brother-in-law were still in the drawing room so she was confident that none of them had seen the kiss she had just stolen.

"Your aunt will be very shocked at your daring behavior, Miss Marsden," Toby teased with a breathy laugh.

"She didn't see," Belle smirked.

"Well, good, because I don't want her locking you up in the house for all eternity."

"Oh, I suppose you're right. Whatever would I do?" Belle said, holding her hand to her forehead dramatically. "Goodnight, then. I shall try to see you as soon as I can."

"Goodnight, Belle," Toby smiled and turned to leave. He heard Belle sigh and close the door behind him. Again, he walked away smiling. What had seemed to be a potentially disastrous evening turned into one of success, Toby thought. He had seemed to gain the favor of Elizabeth Marsden and hoped to return soon.

When Belle returned to the drawing room, she immediately focused her attention on Philip. "Philip," she began, "I was really horrified by how you treated Mr. Ragg tonight. You can at least pretend to like him or even try to enjoy his company. You're so blinded by your belief in the rumors that you won't even give him a chance."

"Isabelle! Do not speak to Philip that way," Vivian scolded. Aunt Elizabeth said nothing since the three had gotten into verbal scuffles before.

"It's alright, Vivian," Philip said. "I'm sorry, Isabelle."

Belle was not expecting an immediate apology from Philip so she stared at him in surprise as she thought of what to say to him next. "Good," she began, "but I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to. Really, Philip, I truly care for him and want him to feel accepted by each and every one of us."

Philip nodded. "I understand. I don't know what came over me. I just…"

"If you don't care for him, at least pretend, as I said," Belle sighed. "You should apologize to him when you see him again."

"Yes, I think you two would get along if given the chance," Vivian said to him.

"Alright, I will," Philip muttered. "Forgive me."

"You are forgiven," Belle said.

Aunt Elizabeth rose from her seat. "Yes, yes, all is forgiven. Let us treat Mr. Ragg with kindness. We may be seeing him more often than we expect."

"My thoughts exactly," Belle said with a nod. She could see Philip was now in deep thought about something and she knew that his feelings toward Toby would not change but perhaps an apology to him would be the first step in things being made right.

Toby was humming happily to himself as he unlocked the door of his shop. He was already looking forward to when he would be seeing Belle again but told himself not to be too eager. He didn't want his affections to scare her away. He had already made a bold confession of his feelings toward her during dinner but he had no regrets about that.

Toby went upstairs to his room and immediately got himself ready for sleep. The room was quiet and all he had was a dimly lit lantern as light. Before he got into bed, he locked the door and took a quick glance around the room. A chill ran up his spine as he stared into the darkness of the room, but it meant nothing to him. He then went to his bed and soon was met by the warmth of his blankets and the welcoming embrace of sleep. However, with sleep came an unforgettable nightmare.

_"Help!" A familiar voice screamed._

_Toby, bewildered by the darkness around him, turned and saw Belle staggering over to him. "Belle! What's wrong?" He asked, running up to her. She stared at him and was trembling. She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing. Toby reached a hand out to help her and suddenly, her dress was covered in blood and she collapsed to the ground._

_"Belle!" He screamed and knelt beside her, pulling her tightly to him. He cradled her close and began to sob into her hair. Soon, Toby could feel a presence behind him. He turned angrily and saw a shadowy figure standing before him. Though he could not see the figure's face, he knew who it was. "Why would you do this?" Toby screamed at the figure._

_A devilish grin appeared on the shadowy face and he spoke in the low sinister voice that had haunted Toby since he was a child. "I did not do this, boy. You did."_

_"I would never do this! It was you! You murdered her just like you murdered Mrs. Lovett and everyone else!" Toby cried. He then felt something in his hand. As he slowly looked down, he saw a bloodied barber knife in his trembling hand. In horror, Toby gently set Belle down and looked at the knife then down at himself. He now realized his shirt was covered in blood; Belle's blood. Frightened even more, he threw the knife across the room. Toby sunk even lower to the ground and buried his face in Belle's blonde hair. "I would never do this to anyone! I am not you, Sweeney Todd!" He hysterically cried._

_The figure spoke: "Ah, that is what you think, Toby. What you don't realize is you are becoming me. Slowly but surely, those you know will slip away …"_

"No!" Toby screamed as he awakened from the nightmare. He was breathing heavily and was covered in his own sweat. "Oh, God," he breathed as he lifted the covers off of him and sat at the side of his bed. His hands were trembling just as they were in his dream, which felt far too real and he hated himself for allowing his mind to wander off into an evil place such as that. He sat in silence for a few minutes and tried to clear his he being haunted or was his imagination running wild? It felt as though forever had passed once Toby felt well enough to go back to sleep. He lay back down in bed and closed his eyes tightly, praying earnestly to not have another dream similar to the one before.


	7. A Better Future

In the weeks following the dinner, Toby and Belle began to see each other almost every day. If Toby had spare time during the morning, he was sure to stop by Belle's home to see her, or she would stop by the shop to see him. Elizabeth Marsden began to demand that the two not go anywhere unchaperoned since it was not proper for the two of them to be seen together alone. Toby and Belle accepted being under the watchful eye of her maid, Beth, since she was never directly behind them or even closely watching them for most of the time they were together. Toby was now officially courting Belle and much to her family's slight displeasure in the match, they continued to treat Toby with kindness, except for Belle's brother-in-law, of course.

Belle's feelings for Toby had grown immensely since the day she had met him. She did not fear him nor did his past change how she felt about him. Though his past made her feel a bit uneasy, it was more so an uneasiness toward the suffering he had experienced rather than an uneasiness toward him, himself. She adored his smile, his personality, and the ambition he had in order to make his shop successful. In her eyes, he was her perfect match. She never cared about wealth or titles; she knew Tobias Ragg could make her happy with or without those things.

Toby was both beyond happy and relieved that Belle enjoyed his company. He loved spending time with her and had felt so much for her that he had never felt for anyone before. Everything about her in his eyes was perfect and he was beyond grateful that she had attended the grand opening of his shop. Since being released from the asylum, Toby had noted how many wonderful things had happened to him: he had met Belle, the shop was more successful than it ever had been, and he had felt comfortable in society once again. In fact, Toby was so satisfied with his life that he knew he just needed to take one more step in order to make life perfect: he had to ask for Belle's hand in marriage.

"Have you finished  _Frankenstein_?" Belle asked Toby as she slipped her hand through his arm. On this chilly morning that Toby was not working, the two decided to take a stroll through the park together. It had been almost two months of their courtship now and strolls together had quickly become one of their favorite pastimes. Beth was sure to follow them at a distance and so that she would not be seen as overbearing.

"I did, yes," Toby said with a smile. "It took some time but I made it through."

Belle smiled and looked up at him. "And what did you think of it all? Heartbreaking, isn't it?"

Toby made a face. "Heartbreaking yet rather gruesome. Practically everyone in the novel is killed by that monster. I find it difficult to believe that  _you_ enjoyed the book, Belle. I, for one, didn't really enjoy it."

"You didn't? I think I enjoyed it because it was riveting. I never knew what was going to happen next and the monster was just unpredictable. There was an ominous feeling throughout the book that was quite entertaining. I must admit I did have some nightmares because of the story, however. Though, I reminded myself that monsters don't exist. It's impossible for Frankenstein's monster to exist; it's all fantasy. That gives me some comfort."

Toby stopped walking and looked at Belle. "It may give  _you_  some comfort, darling, but it's a false comfort. Monsters do exist. They may not be like Frankenstein's monster but they are much worse. Trust me, I've met one before. Actually, I've met all sorts of monsters throughout my life. I pray you never have to." After Toby spoke, he lightly moved his arm away from Belle's hand and walked on without her. Belle stopped walking and stared at him in silence. A twinge of guilt began to come over her; perhaps lending  _Frankenstein_ to Toby had not been the best idea, especially if he had endured similar situations as the characters. She frowned and looked back at Beth, who was catching up to her.

"Is everything alright, Miss?" Beth asked as she approached Belle. "Where's Mr. Ragg gone?"

"Don't worry, Beth, everything is alright. He's just walked a bit further down the path," Belle said as she turned back ahead of her. Toby was now quite a distance ahead of her and he appeared to be walking over to a tree. He walked with his head hung slightly low and his hands were in his coat pockets. Was he really that upset over her words? She had to make things right. "I'll go speak to him," she said quietly and began to walk down the path to him.

Toby stared up at the large tree as he gathered his thoughts. He hadn't meant to walk away from Belle but he was surprised by her words. He had told her of Sweeney Todd and his actions yet she still seemed to be blissfully unaware of the evils people are capable of doing. Toby had not enjoyed the novel because it reminded him too much of the past but he had read through and finished it. He did not want to read another story similar to that one ever again.

"Toby?"

Toby turned and saw Belle standing before him with a worried expression on her face. "I'm sorry if my words upset you," she said before she took his hand and quickly kissed it. "I should have realized that-"

"It's fine, Belle," Toby said gently to her. "I'm not upset with you. Certain things just remind me of… Well, you're aware."

Belle nodded. "I am. I'm sure you only want to be surrounded by anything to make you forget what you've endured. I'm sorry."

Toby shook his head softly and walked around the trunk of the tree. He could no longer be seen by Belle but he held his hand out to her. Blushing slightly, Belle took his hand and was pulled behind the tree by him. The two were face-to-face and the distance between them would cause a scandal should they be seen. "I'm already surrounded by something that makes me forget all I have endured."

Belle tilted her head softly, staring into his eyes as he spoke. "Oh? What?"

"You. Being with you makes me forget all the bad that's happened. You make me hopeful, Belle, not just for a better life now but for a better future, and I hope I can share that future with you."

Before Belle could respond, Toby placed a kiss on her lips and with a smirk, he walked out from behind the tree. He could hear the huffing and puffing of Beth as she ran over to him. He and Belle had been out of her sight for a brief moment and the worry was written all over her face.

"Where's Miss Marsden?" She asked.

Belle stepped out from behind the tree with a smile on her face. Her cheeks were a deep pink from the kiss but she kept her composure. "I'm here, Beth. I thought I had lost an earring somewhere here in the grass but I was mistaken."

Toby smiled to himself before extending his arm out to Belle again. "Yes, no need to worry, Beth. Belle and I shall walk for some time more and then we'll part ways since I need to start preparing for tonight."

Belle placed her hand through Toby's arm and gently squeezed him. "Well then, let's waste no time."

Belle returned home that afternoon as happy as can be. Toby's words of wanting to share a future with her played over and over in her mind and she could sense that perhaps a proposal was near. However, a different thought was also lingering in her mind, as well, and it gave her a horrible nightmare. As Belle fell asleep that night, she remembered what Toby had told her about monsters; they were indeed real, and she dreamt of one and would continue to dream of it in the nights that followed. She did not dream of a monster such as the one in  _Frankenstein_ , rather, she dreamt of a different monster she had not thought of for some time: the demonic apparition that had appeared before her during her the night at Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium.

"When do you suppose he'll propose to you?" Vivian asked as she entered a small dress shop with Belle.

"I'm not quite sure, Vivian, as I told you," Belle answered as she followed her in. Though it had been a few days since Belle's walk in the park with Toby, she had only just told Vivian of what he had said to her. This piqued Vivian's curiosity and she had been pestering Belle with questions about her courtship with Toby all afternoon. Belle would answer her politely but she wanted nothing more than the questions to stop for the moment. With a sigh, Belle wandered over to a counter where lace gloves were displayed. She picked up a glove gingerly and held it against her own hand.

"Are you sure he can afford to support you both?" Vivian asked her, a bit too loudly. Other women in the shop glanced over nosily at the two sisters but then returned to their shopping.

" _Vivian!_ " Belle groaned quietly. "Of course he can. I don't need much in life." She placed the glove back on the counter and walked away from her sister and to the dresses.

Vivian followed her quickly. "Belle, you may think that, but all your life you've had everything you've needed and everything you could ever want. Look at where we are: a dress shop! You won't be able to wear grand dresses such as this if you were to live in that pie shop."

"None of that matters to me, Vivian," Belle said to her. Her attention was then focused on a white gown. With a soft smile on her face, her fingers ran across the lace sleeves and skirts. She could imagine herself wearing it for her own wedding.

"You would look lovely in that dress, Isabelle," Vivian said, suddenly by Belle's side.

"Thank you," Belle smiled. "I like it very much."

Vivian then took her sister's hand. "I'm sorry, Belle. I can see that you care for Toby very much and I have a feeling that you will be happy with him no matter what. I just can't help but worry about you. You're my sister."

"I know I will be happy with him, Vivian. None of you need to worry about us," Belle said with a reassuring smile.

"Of course," Vivian said, as she went to a stack of hot boxes. "I'm sure he'll ask for your hand soon, though," she said as she quietly rummaged through the boxes. "I can see your excitement about it keeps you up all night."

Belle lowered her hand from the dress and looked over at her sister. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," Vivian began, "you've been somewhat quiet all afternoon and you look exhausted."

Belle straightened her posture and motioned to the door. Should she tell her sister of her dreadful nightmare? Perhaps she should, she thought. Afterall, Vivian was her older sister whom she could trust. The two had always confided in each other and shared their fears with one another. Belle knew it would even give her some comfort if she were to share with her sister. "I'll tell you but I'd rather not speak of it in here," she whispered.

Vivian nodded and hesitantly put down the hat box to join her sister outside. Once they left the shop, the two walked away together and stayed silent until they were no longer near people who could hear them.

"So tell me!" Vivian commanded anxiously once they were alone.

Belle sighed and began to think of how she could describe it all. "Alright, I have not been sleeping well lately because I keep having this recurring dream over and over again. Actually, I would say it's a nightmare rather than a dream." She could see curiosity written all over Vivian's face, so she continued. "For the past three nights, I've been experiencing a nightmare that always starts off with me walking into a room, which is always too dark for me to tell where it is. I'm not sure if it's a room I've been in before or not. I just keep walking and walking until I can see a dark and shadowy figure approaching me. This continues until him and I are standing before each other and I cannot make out the features of his face until a flash of lightning occurs and I see him-" Belle stopped when she heard Vivian's gasp.

"What does he look like?" Vivian asked, more curious than ever.

"He's deathly pale but his face is always covered with…," Belle stopped.

Vivian began growing impatient. "With what?"

"With blood, Vivian! It's not his own, I'm sure. He has this wild look in his eye and oh, he's just so frightening! He's always grinning at me, as well, and I can't wake myself up from the dream until he is fully revealed to me. I wake up wanting to scream but I can't because Aunt Elizabeth will think I've gone mad."

Vivian's eyes were wide with fear. "Why on earth would you dream of something such as that, Belle? What has come over you?"

Belle shook her head. "I don't know, Vivian," she lied. Belle knew she could not tell Vivian that she had seen the horrid figure the night she was at Toby's shop. That would make her seem truthfully mad and Vivian would be sure to tell their aunt about it all. "I'm sure I've been reading too many stories as of late."

Vivian nodded, wanting to believe her sister. "Yes, I'm sure that's it," she said. "Well, hopefully, that horrendous nightmare leaves you. Let's get your mind off of that and return to my home, yes? I'll have some tea and cakes made for us. How does that all sound?"

"Thank you, Vivian," Belle smiled. "That would be wonderful."

That same afternoon, Toby sat anxiously in the drawing room of Elizabeth Marsden. She had not been expecting him but Toby knew that Belle would not be home that afternoon, therefore making it the perfect day to speak privately with her aunt. As he waited for her, he reminded himself to be calm which he expected to be, but he was duped by his own expectations. His eyes wandered around the room nervously, never being able to focus on one piece of furniture or decor for more than a few seconds. He knew he had to say what he truly felt and that nothing would make him happier than to have Belle's hand in marriage. He only hoped that her aunt felt the same and accepted the match. If she were to not give him her blessing, would Toby be so mad as to elope with Belle? He wasn't entirely sure.

"Hello, Mr. Ragg," Elizabeth greeted as she walked in.

Toby nodded at her and immediately began his plan of action. "Good afternoon-"

"You are aware that Isabelle isn't here, are you not? She went out with her sister."

Toby nodded. "Yes, I am aware of that. I actually came to speak to you." Toby could have sworn he saw the woman repress a smile as if she knew what he was going to speak to her about.

"Sit, Mr. Ragg," she said. Toby immediately sat and watched her take the seat across from him.

"Well," Aunt Elizabeth began, "let's hear it then."

Toby was sure to sit up straight and look as confident as possible. "Well, the truth is, Lady Marsden, I am in love with your niece."

Aunt Elizabeth blinked. "And you think it appropriate to ask me if you may marry her or not?"

She was much too quick for Toby. "Yes," he said to her. He watched her sigh and rise from her seat, which made him nervous.

"You know that I am not quite fond of the idea of my niece marrying below her. How will you support her? She is used to this lifestyle, you know."

"I am aware. The income from the shop is more than enough, Ma'am. I'm sure she will live comfortably with me in the shop," Toby explained.

"At your shop," Aunt Elizabeth said in slight horror. "That's no place for a proper lady to live. Will you ever have a true home for yourselves?"

Toby cleared his throat. "It's possible."

Elizabeth was not satisfied with his answer and Toby was beginning to sense that he was failing. "And what if business should suddenly become slow?" She asked.

"Oh, that won't ever happen. There will always be people in my shop. I am confident about that," Toby boasted. "I can provide for her. Please, Ma'am. I love her so much and I would do anything for her!"

Elizabeth sighed deeply and faced the young man. "As much as I may not fully agree with this match, I can see that you do love my niece, Tobias Ragg. and for that reason, I give you my blessing to ask her to m-"

Toby shot up from his seat and ran to Aunt Elizabeth. He embraced her tightly without thinking. "Thank you so much!" he cried. "You haven't any idea how happy this makes me."

Aunt Elizabeth rolled her eyes and couldn't help but pat Toby's back before gently pushed him away. "How indecent of you," she scoffed. "No matter, I wish you two the best of luck and much happiness. When do you plan on asking her?"

Toby exhaled a sigh of relief because the worst was over. "Thank you. I plan on asking her next week."

"I'm sure that will be a very happy day for both of you."

Toby smiled widely. "I am very much looking forward to it."

That day could not have arrived any quicker for Toby. Before he knew it, it was the Saturday afternoon that he had been anticipating. The weather was cool but it was fine weather to take a stroll. The previous day, Toby had sent a short note to Belle asking her to meet him the following afternoon at the same park they always went to. Toby had arrived first. He anxiously fiddled with the simple ring in his coat pocket as he stood beneath one of the trees knowing that in a few moments, his soon to be fiancé would be here.

Outside of the park entrance, Belle was arriving in a carriage that her aunt requested for her. Beth had accompanied her and had been secretly told by Belle's aunt about the proposal that was to take place. She couldn't help but smile whenever she looked at Belle, but Belle did not find that unusual. Belle knew that Toby was going to ask for her hand in marriage eventually, but she didn't think it would be this soon. She simply thought this visit to the park would be like any other day.

"Isabelle Marsden, will you do me the honor of becoming my..." Toby's voice came to a stop when he heard the sound of the horses trotting up the road and stop near the park entrance. He had done all he could to prepare and there was no turning back now. When he saw Belle step out of the carriage, Toby took a deep breath and began walking to greet her. When Belle saw Toby approaching her, she smiled and immediately made her way to him not expecting to soon be asked a life-changing question.


	8. The Engagement

"And how are you feeling today, Miss Marsden?" Toby asked as he walked back to the tree, arm-in-arm with Belle. He had happily met her at her carriage, his heart beating loudly within his chest. Thankfully, Belle had not noticed the slight shaking in his hand as he offered it to her. With a smile on her face, she accepted his arm and walked with him. Beth, who tried her best to keep her smile from becoming too wide, walked slowly behind them. Once Toby and Belle neared the tree, Beth wandered away from them and sat on a nearby bench.

"I'm quite well, thank you for asking," Belle answered with a smile. "And how are  _you_? You seem… happy."

Toby paused his walk with Belle and glanced at her. "Am I usually not happy, Belle?" He smirked. They were now standing beneath the tree that he had been standing under while waiting for her to arrive at the park. Under the shade of the tree, Toby could see Belle blushing into her gloved hand.

"You are a happy person, Toby," she giggled softly. "I just meant that at this moment, you seem  _happier_. I don't know how to explain it."

"Well, I am very happy, darling. Life is going exactly how I want it to be."

"That's wonderful, Toby," Belle said, keeping her eyes fixed upon his. With a sigh, she looked out at their surroundings and reached out for Toby's arm again. "Let's have a stroll. This weather is absolutely divine for a stroll."

Toby nodded and held his arm out for her to take. "I very much agree."

Once again, arm-in-arm, Toby and Belle walked together through the park. They spoke of Toby's business and how each night was filled with satisfied customers. Belle was immensely proud of him and his success and Toby was ever so grateful for her continuous support. He hoped that support would remain throughout their lives together and he hoped that due to all his success, he could make her the happiest woman in the entire world. However, before he could make that happen, she had to accept his hand in marriage first.

A short while later, Toby's eagerness had begun to take over and he knew that he had to ask her the question now. Without a word, he led her over to the side of the path they had been walking on. The area was somewhat hidden by shrubbery and trees. Out of the corner of his eye, Toby could see Beth running up the pathway and settling herself down onto a different bench nearby.

"What's over here, Toby?" Belle asked as she placed her hand gently on the trunk of a tree.

"Belle, I have something for you," Toby announced as he placed a hand over his coat pocket to be sure that the ring was still there. When he felt the small circle through the fabric, his heart felt as though it had jumped.

"Oh? What is it?" She asked curiously, taking a step away from the tree and toward Toby.

Toby smiled, almost nervously, and took her hand in his. "I have to speak to you about something very important first."

Belle gave him a playful pout. "Go on."

"Belle, you know that I love you dearly," Toby began, squeezing her hand gently to give himself some comfort; there was no going back now.

"And I love you dearly, as well," Belle said back to him quietly, in case there was someone nosy nearby.

"Yes, and remember when we spoke a better future?" He asked.

Belle nodded, her blue eyes lighting up with intrigue as to where this conversation was going.

Toby, mentally reminding himself to remain confident, kept his gaze upon her. "How would you like to make that better future a reality? We can do it together starting now."

Belle raised her eyebrows briefly in slight confusion at his words. "Start a future together right now? How, Toby? We're not mar-…," her voice trailed off when she realized what she was about to say. She gasped softly and looked down at her hand in Toby's hand. As she gazed back up at Toby, she heard him chuckle.

"Isabelle Marsden," Toby began, "You have made such an impact on my life since I've met you and I realize that I cannot live life fully without you by my side. You accepted me when no one else really cared to. You brought the light back into my life and made me hopeful once more. In this short time, darling, you've helped make me who I am today. You've reminded me that I can be who I am and not care what anyone else thinks. You are heaven sent; you are an angel, Belle! I swear that I will always keep you safe and provide for you should you agree to marry me. I shall make you happy just as you continue to make me happy. Will you, Isabelle Marsden, accept my hand in marriage?"

Belle felt tears begin to well up in her eyes as Toby spoke. She loved Tobias Ragg with all her heart and hearing him say such beautiful things about her made her want to faint from happiness, but she kept her composure.  _Be still, my heart_. When he asked her the question she had been longing to hear, she did not hesitate in answering him, not even thinking about what her family would say. "Of course, Toby!" Belle said before she was pulled into an embrace by him. Toby knew again that it was not a proper action but he did not care, he was in love and now the happiest man in the world.

"I love you so much," Toby said quietly to her as he buried her face in her silky blonde hair. "We're going to be so happy together, I promise you."

Belle gently pulled away from him. "I know we will be, Toby. I am so happy! I must be dreaming! We're really going to be married. We're going to be together always?" Belle's childlike wonder toward the idea of marriage made Toby smile.

"Yes, together always."

"We're going to run the shop together?" Belle asked excitedly.

"Yes, we are, if you would like to work with me. We don't have to worry about working until after the honeymoon, though. After all, we just became engaged moments ago," Toby laughed.

Belle blushed and gently placed her hands over her face. "Of course! Forgive me, I'm just so overwhelmed with happiness, Toby. We're going to be married! And did you say honeymoon? Oh my, how romantic. Wherever shall we go?"

Toby kissed Belle's forehead. "Anywhere you want, Belle. Is there anywhere that you've dreamed of going? I can take you there."

Belle thought for a moment. Where has she always wanted to go? She knew Toby could not afford an extravagant trip but Belle had little desire to travel anywhere far from home. She'd be happy anywhere with him, even on Fleet Street. There were many beautiful places in England, after all, and no matter where they went, she knew what she had to be near: the sea. When her father was alive, he had always promised that he would take her somewhere to stay by the sea where it was calm and blue, but of course, he had never gotten the chance to. She always thought about that blue sea. She loved how mysterious it could be and it was all so interesting to her, how the land of the earth had been discovered and claimed and yet the ocean was unknown to man. What a wonder, she thought, that the ocean could be filled with its secrets such as mythical creatures and monsters of the deep. Beneath the ocean waves was a world unknown but above the waves that brushed along the shore, was where peace could be found and she wanted to experience it all with the love of her life. It was a perfect idea.

"To the seaside, Toby! We can stay in a little house down by the beautiful sea!" Belle sang happily.

Toby's eyes widened in shock as Belle's words mirrored those of Mrs. Lovett's from so many years ago. Before he could even begin to think of a response to her, he heard a faint yet familiar voice near him.

" _Down by the sea... Married nice and proper... By the sea… To the seaside…By the beautiful sea..."_

With a light gasp, Toby turned away from Belle and stared into the path in front of where he was standing. His eyes narrowed and he watched as people walked past him. They were talking amongst themselves, not singing. Perhaps he had been mistaken. Toby glanced around the park once more and suddenly he heard her voice everywhere.

" _By the sea… Don't you love the weather?"_

It sounded exactly like  _her_ but he knew that it was impossible. He could hear this disembodied voice so clearly and so distinctly that it could not be in his imagination.  _She_ was there and he could feel her presence but Toby was now beginning to fear that he was either being haunted or worse, he was hallucinating.

_"By the sea…We'll grow old together..."_

"Stop," Toby pled quietly to the voice.

Belle watched Toby with great concern. His jaw was clenched and he was staring out ahead of himself, not looking at anything or anyone in particular. He was simply sparing, his eyes narrowed and his brows slightly furrowed. He appeared as though he had seen something both frightening and frustrating. Belle was unsure of what to do; one moment he held only happiness in his expression and now he had suddenly changed because of something she did not know. Had she said something to upset him just as she had before? She had only mentioned the sea.

"What's the matter, Toby? Are you alright?" She asked gently. Toby did not blink nor did he make it known to her that he had heard her at all. He was still staring, listening, and watching something unknown to her. Belle hesitantly reached her hand out and placed it on Toby's arm. "Toby?"

" _To the seaside-"_

"No!" Toby yelled at the voice and turned back around to face a frightened Belle. She quickly retracted her hand and took a step back from him.

"I-I'm sorry, Toby. I-I didn't mean to upset you."

Toby, still frightened by what he just experienced, took a moment to gather his thoughts. He could no longer hear the voice but now he was left with the frustration of beginning his engagement by frightening his now fiancée. He feared that the moment he and Belle had shared had been ruined. "B-Belle," he stuttered. "You did not upset me. Forgive me, I thought I heard a voice and-and perhaps you heard it too?"

Belle stared at him and shook her head softly. "No, Toby, I heard no voice." She remained where she was standing and began to realize that perhaps he must have been reminded of something from his past that jarred him away from reality for the briefest moment. "Toby, were you, perhaps, lost in a memory?"

Toby stared back at her and decided to agree with her conclusion; it was the only logical explanation. "Ah, yes, I was lost in a past memory. Mrs. Lovett adored the seaside and I suppose hearing you say such similar things as she did brought it all back to me."

Belle nodded and took a step closer to Toby. "Oh, yes, I understand now. Sometimes that happens to me," she lied. She knew she had to say some sort of words of comfort so that Toby could not feel that he was alone in his experience. She gave him a weary smile as she placed her hand on the side of his face. "We don't have to go to the seaside if it brings back unsettling memories for you."

Toby placed his hand over hers. "No, it's what you want, Belle, and I want you to be happy. I would gladly do anything for you no matter what. I will do what I can to see if you and I may spend a few days to a week at a quaint little house by the sea."

"Are you certain?" Belle asked, unsure whether this truly was a good idea or not.

"I am most certain," Toby reassured her.

Belle smiled softly and though she was still unsure of what Toby had just experienced, she could not show her fear. She was truly happy and she knew that it was better to focus on the joyous moment at hand. "Thank you. Well, nevermind all that. We are to be married! I still can't believe it."

"I can't either… Oh!" Toby reached into his coat pocket and took out the simple wedding ring he had purchased for Belle. "How could I forget?" He asked himself and glanced at Belle, who immediately held her hand out to him. "I hope this is alright," he said as he slid the ring onto Belle's finger.

Belle stared at the simple ring in amazement. It may not have been the most extravagant engagement ring she had seen but it was even more beautiful to her because it was given to her by Toby. "It's beautiful, Toby!"

"I'm happy you like it," Toby blushed.

"I adore it!" Belle exclaimed and stared up at him, wanting to kiss him but knowing that she couldn't out in public.

Toby understood and quickly placed a kiss on her lips. "I cannot wait to begin my life with you."

"And neither can I."

Not long after, Belle and Toby left where they had been standing and found Beth, who was more than happy to congratulate the newly engaged couple. When it was time to part ways, Toby gave Belle a chaste kiss on the cheek and helped her into her carriage. Toby watched the carriage leave and when it was gone from his sight, the smile faded from his face. The thought of the voice was beginning to cause all the joy of his proposal to seep from him and he hated it. As he walked away from the park, he reminded himself that it was just a vivid memory and nothing more. It had all left him feeling uneasy, so much so that he had no desire to return to the shop just yet. He didn't want to be reminded of  _her_ , rather he took a longer route back. While walking, Toby stumbled upon something that truly would distract him from his thoughts. Across the way from him was a young man and his wife, who was pushing a pram. The sight made Toby smile again and he knew that  _that_ would be part of the better future he would have with Belle. In his future, Toby only saw happiness and laughter. In his future, there were no voices, no apparitions, and no fear, and Toby was determined to keep all those fears from taking away what he and Belle so deserved.

Belle gazed at the ring on her finger as the carriage made its way through London. She still felt immensely happy though there was something that was bothering her. The sight of Toby staring off into nothing had disturbed her slightly. She had watched him tense up and had heard him say "no" to someone. He had yelled and it had frightened her. Did this happen often? Was he seeing something that wasn't there as she thought she had in the barber shop? All those years in the asylum must have had somewhat of an effect on him though he seemed sane.  _He must have moments like that from time to time, but it's nothing serious, I'm sure…_  Belle knew she could expect perhaps more moments like that from Toby in the future but she was sure they would not be frequent. She would love him no matter what and she would not allow herself to fear her own husband for memories that he had or small things that were out of his control. They would be happy together and she would love her life. She decided to put that short moment behind her and only focus on her happiness from his proposal. She couldn't wait to tell her aunt all about it when she returned home but she would, of course, leave out certain details. She was to be Mrs. Tobias Ragg and she couldn't ask for anything more.

News of Belle and Toby's engagement spread fast once the Marsden family became aware of it. The unlikely couple were a common source of conversation throughout the melancholic streets and the conversations held weren't necessarily positive. There were those that welcomed the idea of the two being married and those whose scornfully disapproved. Neither Belle nor Toby could go out without hearing whispers or get a look from someone. Toby would get a snide comment from men as he went to purchase ingredients for his pies and even his own customers were asking him how he managed to find himself associated with Belle Marsden, let alone become engaged to her. Their questions made Toby uncomfortable since they made him feel as though he were the worst choice of Belle's prospects. Meanwhile, Belle found herself frequently being questioned by her aunt's friends or random women on the street as to why she would marry a man such as Tobias Ragg. They had no hesitation to remind her that she was marrying lower than herself. She wanted to tell them that it was none of their business and that she was happy, but being the proper girl she was, she simply ignored their rude comments and continued her day. When her aunt announced weeks later that they were to host a dinner party to celebrate the engagement, Belle knew that ignoring comments would not help her now. She and Toby were to face the unwanted opinions of others together but they would not let words change how they felt for each other.

"Toby, come away from the window. Our guests won't like you watching them arrive," Elizabeth Marsden said from across the sitting room. Toby sighed softly as he left his spot by the window and instead went over to Belle. A few guests had already arrived though they were keeping their distance from Toby for now. Belle assured Toby that he had nothing to fear for the guests that were arriving, which were some family and friends of her aunt, were kind. Toby trusted her yet he knew that curiosity can very much trump kindness. Tonight, Toby was dressed like a well-to-do gentleman yet what he felt within himself was a nervousness that made him feel ill at is. Despite this, he kept a smile on his face and greeted guests when introduced to them.

"Hello, Mr. Ragg," an older gentleman said to him as he approached him. "I am Mr. Green, and this is my wife."

"We wish to congratulate you on your engagement to Miss Marsden," Mrs. Green smiled.

"Thank you," Toby said as he shook Mr. Green's hand. He relaxed a bit since he felt that this couple did not have an agenda of judgment toward Toby. "It's wonderful to meet you."

"Likewise," Mrs. Green said to him. "We are friends of the family. We have known Miss Marsden since she was a young girl. You have found yourself a beautiful young woman to have as your wife, Mr. Ragg."

"She truly is an angel," Toby said, glancing over at Belle, who was standing near another couple. She too glanced over at Toby, as though she could feel his gaze upon her. She smiled at him before turning back to the couple she was talking too. Toby kept his eyes on her; she looked breathtaking. Her hair rested over her shoulder and her dress was a dazzling emerald green that drew one's eye to her as soon as they entered the room. Realizing Toby had kept his attention off Mr. and Mrs. Green for too long, he turned back to them. "Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive," Mr. Green said with a chuckle. "You are in love."

"I am."

"Now, Mr. Ragg, there are so many people here that I recognize but I can't seem to find anyone that I don't recognize. Is your family in attendance?" Mrs. Green asked as she glanced around the room.

Toby bit his lip for a moment and shook his head softly. "Ah, I don't have a family, Mrs. Green," he said quietly.

Mrs. Green gasped dramatically and held her gloved hand over her heart. "No family? Oh, you poor thing! Surely you must have someone. A mother? Where is your mother?"

"I-I don't know. I don't remember her," Toby said in a more serious tone. "My earliest memories are being in a workhouse with other children." He could see the expressions of Mr. and Mrs. Green sadden and Toby knew that he had to change the subject to a much happier one or else this interaction would go poorly. "Ah," he began, "but now I have a family. Belle is my family. The Marsdens are my family."

Mrs. Green's expression softened and her smile returned. "Yes, of course! And what a wonderful family they are. Excuse us, Mr. Ragg, I see someone I'd like to talk to. We'll chat again."

Toby nodded and stepped aside so that the Greens could pass him. Once they were gone from his presence, Toby shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around the room. These were not people he interacted with on a daily basis. The people he was surrounded by had a haughty aura to them and displayed their wealth through jewels and the latest fashions. They could not relate to anything he had been through and he did not trust that they were completely genuinely interested in befriending him.

"Toby, are you enjoying yourself?" Vivian, Belle's sister asked, as she joined his side.

"I am," Toby said to her, relieved that Philip was preoccupied talking to someone else rather than being with her. "I must admit that this is the first dinner party I've been to. I don't know exactly what to do."

"Is it?" Vivian gasped. "Oh, Toby, there's nothing to it. Have a drink or try something on the table that Beth made. Everyone here is so excited to meet you. Why don't you go stand with Belle?" Vivian asked as she gently nudged Toby's arm. Toby thought this a fine idea and walked across the room to where Belle was standing. At the sight of her fiancé, Belle smiled and immediately stepped aside so that he could stand next to her.

"Darling, I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Reid. They're so eager to meet you," Belle said.

"Indeed, we are," Mr. Reid said. Mrs. Reid said nothing but did look at Toby as though she were inspecting him.

"Hello," Toby greeted. "I am Tobias Ragg. It's wonderful to meet you."

"And you," Mr. Reid said with a nod. "We've passed by your shop dozens of times."

Toby smiled. "Have you? That's wonderful to hear. You've never been in for dinner?"

Mrs. Reid's nose crinkled at his words. "No," she said curtly. "We wouldn't dare step foot in that place."

Before Toby could respond, Belle let out a nervous chuckle. "Why ever not? The pies are delicious."

"I wouldn't dare step foot somewhere where three people have been murdered," Mrs. Reid scoffed, glancing at Belle. "Judge Turpin, Beadle Bamford, and the woman who owned the shop herself. It's an absolute tragedy."

Toby stood rigidly as he listened to Mrs. Reid, before giving her a weary smile. "They were tragic events, yes, but one cannot let the past-"

"It truly baffles me," Mr. Reid interrupted, "how you could even stand to live there yourself. Were you not the one who found them murdered that night?"

Toby was taken so aback by the question that he couldn't even think of a quick response. All that came to mind was the blood and the bodies. He remembered the sound of Mrs. Lovett's screams as she was consumed by the flames. He remembered the heat, the sounds, the smell. Belle, now staring at Toby, saw him go pale in the face and she immediately held his arm, knowing that he was thinking about it all. She felt his body relax slightly under her touch and she too felt uneasiness from the question though she should have expected it from Mr. Reid, who always seemed to speak before he thought. "Mr. Reid," Belle said gently. "I do not think that it is proper to ask my fiancé such questions. He certainly does not like to be reminded of that night and I am very proud of him for not letting that stop him from having a normal life. Mr. Ragg is so much more than what happened all those years ago. He didn't even have anything to do with it."

Toby could see that other guests had stopped talking amongst themselves and were now listening to Belle. Curious eyes were on her and on him and it began to make Toby feel dizzy. The floral wallpaper began to swirl slightly as though they were flames and he felt the room growing warmer. "I…," he began to say. He heard Mr. Reid say something to him but he couldn't even understand what was being said. He was going to be sick.

"Excuse me," Toby blurted out as he quickly left Belle's side.

Belle called out after him softly but Toby was gone from the room before he could hear her. The guests that were watching turned away from the spectacle and were now talking quietly amongst themselves again, except this time their conversations were certainly about Toby. Belle excused herself from the Reids' presence to follow Toby but her aunt stopped her, telling her it would be rude to leave the room. Reluctantly, Belle stayed and began to socialize again, hoping that Toby was alright.

Toby quickly walked down the hall of the home and ran into the first room he could. Behind a large wooden door, he found a study; the only light in the room was the faint light from a streetlamp outside the window. Toby walked in, aware that he was breathing rather quickly. Once he was further into the room, he found a desk and took it upon himself to sit in the leather chair. He held his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair nervously. He needed to get the memory out of his head and quickly since he knew that now gossip was filling the air in the room he just escaped from. He hated those people for asking such invasive questions; had they no sympathy? Did they not understand? Toby would never ask such questions to someone who had experienced such trauma. Why did he understand this and they didn't? Toby groaned in frustration before leaning back in the seat and staring up at the ceiling. Closing his eyes, he took slow and deep breaths to calm himself. In the darkness of the room, he could hear only his breathing and by focusing solely on that, his mind became distracted from the memory after some time. He then thought of happier things such as how beautiful Belle looked tonight and how beautiful she would look the day of their wedding. A small smile spread across his face but as soon as it did, a low and devious laughter sounded from behind Toby. Toby's eyes shot open and he stood from the chair. "Who's there?" He asked as he turned around.

No one was there.

"I heard you. I heard you laughing. Show yourself," Toby demanded. Frustration returned to him when he saw nor heard anyone.  _What on earth is happening?_

"Who are you talking to?"

Toby was startled once again but by a new voice coming from the other side of the room. In the doorway stood Philip, staring at Toby coldly. "Who are you talking to?" He repeated.

Toby quickly glanced around the room before focusing on Philip. "Ah, no one," he said quietly. "I thought I had heard someone in here."

As Philip raised a brow at Toby suspiciously, Mr. Reid appeared next to him. "What's the matter, Andrews? Is Mr. Ragg hiding from everyone?"

"It appears so," Philip said to him. "He's hiding in here and talking to himself, it seems. What can we expect, though, from a lowly baker who spent ten years in an asylum?"

Mr. Reid laughed and Toby remained where he stood, mortified at the words of his soon to be brother-in-law. He clenched his jaw and slowly walked forward with caution. "I'd like to rejoin my fiancée, please. Move."

Philip merely smirked and slowly stepped aside for Toby. As Toby passed him and Mr. Reid, he averted his gaze, not wanting them to interpret his glare as a challenge. To Toby's relief, Belle was entering the hallway. She immediately went to him as he left the study.

"There you are, Toby. I was worried about you. You were gone for quite some time," Belle said to him as she took his hands in her own. "Are you alright?"

"How long was I gone?" Toby asked before swallowing hard. "Nevermind, I'm alright, darling. I just needed a few moments to myself." As he spoke, Philip and Mr. Reid walked by and Toby now couldn't help but give the briefest of glares to Philip.

Belle noticed. "What did he say to you?" She asked quietly once Philip left the hall. "Tell me, Toby, please."

Toby shook his head and gently squeezed her hand. "Nothing. Let's go back to the sitting room."

Belle did not move. "Toby, tell me."

"Isabelle, let's go back, I said. Please, I don't want to draw any more negative attention to myself," Toby said, before kissing her gently. "Please."

Defeated, Belle agreed and walk with him in silence, knowing full well that Philip had not spared the man she loved from his comments. She would question him later.

The evening continued and the curious guests continued to interact with Toby and Belle, however, the invasive questions stopped. Toby was grateful but could not allow himself to be at ease again since Philip and Mr. Reid were always nearby and listening.

When the hour grew late, Toby felt emotionally and mentally exhausted from the evening. He had socialized with this many people before at the shop but none of them were as demanding as the people who filled the Marsden home. He was through with the staring and through with the questions for the evening and all he wanted to do now was return home to sleep. Luckily, guests began to leave and Toby knew that this was his chance to sneak away. He had told Belle, as well as her aunt, that he had a headache and needed to get some rest. Belle agreed and despite her aunt's disappointment in his early exit, she agreed. Grateful, Toby said goodbye to the others quickly, with the exception of Philip and Mr. Reid. Mr. and Mrs. Green expressed their congratulations to Toby once again and even told him not to worry about what others say. Toby genuinely liked the Greens.

"Goodbye, Toby," Belle said as he walked out the door.

"I'll see you very soon, darling," Toby said as he kissed her hand. "I'm sorry, I just don't feel very well tonight."

"I understand."

"Come to the shop for dinner tomorrow."

Belle smiled. "I will. Goodnight. I love you."

"And I love you."

Belle closed the door slowly, keeping her gaze on Toby as she did so. Once the door was shut, Toby quickly walked away from the home and turned the corner. In the night, he walked back to Fleet Street alone and disturbed by nothing but his own returning fear of the dark.

When all the guests had left Elizabeth Marsden's home later that night, Belle knew her time to question Philip had come. In the sitting room, she found her brother-in-law finishing off the wine left out while Vivian sleepily sat near the window. "What a nice party," Vivian sighed. "I'm quite exhausted. Philip, dearest, shall we leave?"

"Yes, let's," Philip said but Belle immediately made her way to him before he could move.

"Philip, you promised you were going to treat Toby better," she frowned.

Philip's face held an expression of annoyance. "You had told me to pretend to like him but I realize that I can't do that. I barely spoke to him tonight, though. "

"You said something to him when he was in the study, I know you did. He looked upset. What did you say? Tell me," Belle demanded. She could see her sister standing from her seat, as though she were ready to defend Philip from her words.

"I don't remember," Philip lied. "Vivian, let's leave. Beth, fetch my coat please," he said. From the doorway, Beth nodded and swiftly left the room. Vivian immediately joined her husband's side.

"Belle, it's late. Let's not argue, please," Vivian said warily.

"Philip, what did you say?" Belle repeated, ignoring her sister's words. "Don't you understand that Toby is sensitive? He's been through so much and-"

"And you're a fool for wanting to marry him," Philip said with a dark glare. Both Vivian and Belle gasped at his words.

Vivian pulled on Philip's arm nervously. "Philip, that isn't kind. Belle loves Toby."

"She's making a mistake!" Philip exclaimed. "Isabelle, don't you think there's something odd about him? He was talking to himself in the study, I heard him. I was watching him. He looked around the room as though he could hear someone talking but there was only silence! You've spent a lot of time with him, surely you have seen him behaving strangely."

Belle could feel anger rising within herself. Toby's behavior at the park had been odd but it was only for a moment and after that, all was well. She refused to disclose any of this to Philip and she wanted to tell him he was wrong. He didn't understand Toby and he did not care for him as she did. "He does not behave strangely," she said, furrowing her brows. "He is just like any of us! He wants to live a normal life and he has been. Yes, his memories may return from time to time but they don't affect him. You and I have memories that come back to us often, I know it. Tobias Ragg is my fiancé and will soon become family. You promised you would treat him better and I see no effort from you."

Philip's face held an expression of anger now and he even took a step closer to Belle to intimidate her. His tall frame making her seem so small before him. "I'm still unsure as to why Elizabeth even gave Ragg her blessing. You're going to regret marrying him, Belle. I sense it. Nothing is normal about him. He's seen hellish things, worse things than you and I can even imagine. We don't know everything. You're blinded by the attention he gives you. I don't believe you really know him and I think he rushed into this proposal so that he can trick himself into thinking he has a normal life."

"He loves me!"

"Belle, that's enough!" Elizabeth Marsden said as she entered the room, shocked to hear her niece yelling. "What's gotten into you? This is not how a young lady behaves! Go upstairs and get yourself ready for bed. Must I treat you like a child?"

"She is a child," Philip muttered. "Goodnight, then. Vivian and I are leaving." With that, he left the room with a worried Vivian by his side.

Belle, her face red and chest heaving, remained where she stood before turning to her aunt. She jumped slightly when she heard the door of the house slam. "I'm sorry, Aunt Elizabeth," she said quietly. "I just love Toby so much and hearing Philip say such lies about him upsets me. Toby is judged so harshly!"

"I don't need to hear an explanation," Elizabeth said. "You won't be able to change Philip's mind nor he yours, especially with the way you've been acting. You are to be someone's wife now stop acting like a child. You never behave like this. Get yourself to bed."

Without a word, Belle left the room and went upstairs. In silence, Belle readied herself for bed and reflected on the evening to calm herself. The dinner party itself overall went well, though she knew Toby had not thought so. He had been forced to return to his past from the questions and words. She wanted to protect Toby and she knew that her yearning to do so was what led to her behavior toward Philip. She hadn't meant to behave in such a way, she usually was composed. There were too many strong emotions she had been feeling for many different reasons. She felt joy and excitement because she was to marry Toby but she also felt frustration and confusion because of the words by Philip and those around her who disapproved of the marriage. She was making the right decision, she told herself, and she would be beyond happy with Toby. They would prove everyone wrong.

Belle cried softly as she lay in bed sometime after. She was now feeling remorseful and wanted to apologize to Philip when she next saw him. She also wished for him and Toby to eventually apologize to each other. She realized that being married to Toby would not be easy due to the ridicule but she hoped that as the years went on, the questions would be asked less and less and the comments would be seldom spoken. She loved her family to death and now Toby was to become part of them; they would be the only family he ever had.  _Everything will become better_ , she thought to herself as she closed her eyes. She wanted her life with Toby to be peaceful and as she fell asleep, she imagined what those days to come would be like. The days were easy and filled with joy and she trusted that that would be her reality.


End file.
